A Chance Encounter
by DistantSenpai
Summary: Three years after Honoka's graduated, she's still up-to-date with Love Live. What will happen when she becomes interested in a new group named Aqours? HonokaxChika story mostly with the rest of Aqours, the rest of Muse may make small cameos.
1. Please Be Her

"Hmm…"

Confusing.

That's the word that came to Honoka's mind when she stared at her phone, attempting to make sense of the directions given to her by Umi.

Back when she had told Umi and Kotori about her plans to go all the way to Numazu, they were surprised.

It had been three years since she graduated from Otonokizaka with the both of them.

Though their time as idols was over, everyone in their group still kept up with Love Live and the popular school idol groups. And despite their busy schedules, everyone always managed to set some time aside so that they could watch the finals of each Love Live together.

However, this was the first time that any of them had wanted to watch a performance outside of the finals in a long time. And it was only the qualifiers round as well.

Honoka sighed quietly as she started to scroll up in her messages with Umi for the fourth time, still not understanding where exactly she was supposed to go next.

As she did, she thought back to their conversation.

"_You want to go all the way to Numazu City just for that?" Umi asked her in disbelief._

'_That' Honoka wanted to drive two hours just to see a show? The same Honoka that would choose sleeping under a warm kotatsu over taking an exam, making Umi and Kotori come wake her up? The same one whose hands used to shake every time she was asked to drive somewhere? The same exact person?_

_Umi's thoughts were almost audible just by watching her expression, and Kotori had a hard time believing it as well, so she continued in her stead._

"_Are you supposed to meet someone there?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head._

"_No, nothing like that," Honoka quickly shook her head, then her lips formed into a small smile._

"_It's just…"_

"_Just…?" Umi and Kotori replied at the same time, pushing Honoka to complete her sentence._

"_It's just…they kind of remind me of us, you know? I can't really explain it well…" Honoka trailed off as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment._

_Kotori and Umi both smiled though._

After that, they decided to help Honoka, and the three of them found out where exactly the venue was and how to get there from Tokyo.

But now…

"Ah, where am I?!" Honoka yelled to herself in the empty parking lot, becoming frustrated.

* * *

Finally.

After driving around in circles for what felt like hours, and talking on the phone with a confused Umi, she had finally arrived at the building.

There was only one problem though.

She was late.

She made her way through the entrance and followed the signs posted throughout the halls, then eventually reached the large double doors in front of her, the muffled sounds of singing and music reaching her ears.

She sincerely hoped that she didn't miss their performance. Not because of the potentially wasted time. Not because of the loss of her money with nothing to show for it.

She just wanted to watch the group that's been on her mind for the past few months in person, and she'd be devastated if she missed that opportunity.

After taking in a breath to ready herself, she gently pushed open one of the doors, then slipped through the small gap and closed the door behind her.

The sound of music and singing had now been turned into the sound of thunderous applause, and a small group of four girls that she didn't recognize bowed to the audience.

She reached toward her back pocket for the pamphlet she brought with her that listed the performing order of the groups, but she felt nothing.

"H-Huh? I know I…" she mumbled to herself, then stopped when she realized it.

It was still in the car.

As she reprimanded herself in her thoughts, she looked around the room, searching for anyone who didn't seem occupied.

Her eyes rested on two women that looked to be around her age.

One had straight, black hair that came down to her collarbone, while the other had shorter, brown hair.

However, both of them reminded her of someone she'd been watching closely for a while.

Honoka walked toward them, then cleared her throat.

"Excuse me…"

The two women turned toward the direction of the voice that seemed delicately quiet compared to the loudness of the room they were in, and their eyes rested on Honoka, giving her a curious look.

"Do you know when Aqours will perform?"

Their eyes widened slightly, then the one with brown hair turned to the other.

"Shima-san, when is it Chika's group's turn?"

Honoka thought it was strange that the woman referred to Aqours as 'Chika's group,' but she chose not to bring it up as the other woman opened the pamphlet.

"They should be next…mhm, they are!" the black-haired girl announced happily with a smile.

Just as Honoka was about to thank them, a familiar woman walked on stage to interrupt her.

"Next is contestant twenty-four! Here is Aqours!" she said excitedly, then walked off just as quick as she came as the curtain started to rise.

It was time.

Honoka's eyes started to glisten with excitement as the curtain rose, but her expression quickly turned into one of confusion when the spotlight turned on, only revealing five girls standing there.

Of course, she recognized them all. But she knew that there were nine.

Did something happen to their group? Did the other members leave?

As her mind started to race, only a small group of people out of the entire audience started to clap, and she remembered that she was supposed to as well.

But they looked sad.

After a few moments of silence, people in the audience started to glance at one another and whisper, wondering why the girls weren't performing.

Honoka didn't know why, but the sight of the five girls standing up there with frowns on their faces pained her.

She raised her hands near her lips and took a deep breath, readying herself.

She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to shout to them, nor did she know what she was going to say.

But she never found out.

The four other members appeared from off-stage to join them, and smiles returned to their faces.

Honoka lowered her arms, feeling a bit silly about how anticlimactic that was, then she calmed down as the girls took their positions on the stage.

Just then, Aqours started their performance of 'MY Mai TONIGHT.'

She was completely entranced.

* * *

Honoka was still in a state of shock after the show, but then the nine girls immediately talked about 'not being done,' then they quickly left the stage. The announcer carried on as usual, but Honoka was curious about it all.

For some reason, she decided to ask the women she was talking to previously, assuming that they'd somehow know.

"Huh? After this…?" Shima mumbled, confused about why the apparent stranger was so interested in her sister's group. However, she just decided to turn to her other sister.

"Mito-chan, do you know?"

Mito crossed her arms as she thought about it for a moment, then her expression turned to one of surprise as she suddenly thought of an answer.

"Don't tell me…they're trying to perform at the open house too?!"

Shima was caught off guard, then she turned her eyes to the room's exit.

"Then we should leave now so we don't miss it," she suggested, and Mito quickly nodded as they both started to walk away.

However, Mito was stopped by someone lightly grabbing her wrist.

Honoka didn't know why she did it.

Initially, she just wanted to watch Aqours perform at the qualifiers, so she could cheer for them in person.

But that wasn't enough.

"Can I come with you?!" Honoka asked with a bright smile, and Mito and Shima stared back at her with disbelief.

"Eh…?" they replied in unison.

* * *

Somehow, Honoka managed to convince Mito and Shima that she wasn't a bad person, and that she simply wanted to watch the group.

With the sisters driving in front of her, Honoka managed to not get lost on her way to Uchiura, and she was able to enjoy another wonderful performance.

And after that, she started to walk away from the school.

That was enough. She was immensely satisfied.

She pulled out her phone and immediately started to message the others about the amazing performance she just saw, hoping that they might join her next time.

* * *

"Chika-chan!"

Chika turned her gaze toward the voice, and her eyes rested on her sisters waving at her.

She quickly jumped off the stage and ran towards them, wrapping her arms around them both as she smiled.

"Shima-nee! Mito-nee!" she said happily, and her sisters calmed down from suddenly being attacked by their energetic sibling.

"That was amazing, Chika-chan!" Shima said warmly as she gently patted Chika's head, and Mito smirked in response.

"Really? It wasn't that good to me," Mito teased, and Chika immediately frowned as she glanced up at her.

"Mito-nee!" Chika complained, but then both of them laughed softly.

They started to talk about the performance for a bit, then Shima suddenly remembered what she wanted to ask.

"Chika-chan, were you supposed to meet someone?" she asked curiously, but Chika gave her a blank look in response.

"Huh?"

"Really? There was this girl who was really excited about it, she even made us lead her all the way here. I think her name was…Honoka-san?" Mito continued the question nonchalantly.

The name made Chika freeze.

'That' Honoka?

No way. No way no way no way no way.

It must've been someone with the same name.

Chika calmed herself, then responded to her sister, a small trace of hope still in her voice however.

"No, I don't think so…what did she look like?" she asked quickly.

It couldn't be.

Mito would answer the question and it would all be cleared up.

There was no way-

"Orange hair and blue eyes, right Shima-chan? She looked young too."

"Mhm, but she said she was attending a university in Tokyo. That must've been a long trip…" Shima confirmed what Mito said.

At that, Chika instantly grasped Mito's hands.

"Do you know where she went?!" she asked impatiently, her eyes serious.

Mito gave her an odd look, like she was acting strange.

"W-What's with you? That hurts you know," Mito complained lightly, but Chika leaned in even closer.

"Please!" Chika begged, not wanting to miss the opportunity.

Mito stared back at her, stunned for a moment, but then motioned toward the school's entrance.

"She said she was going back…" Mito trailed off as Chika immediately began running to the entrance.

It didn't matter if it wasn't really her. She'd accept the teasing by Mito. She HAD to be sure.

They all decided that they shouldn't pretend to be µ's. That they needed to follow their own path.

But still. If it was really Honoka Kousaka that showed up, she needed to see her.

She looked to the right as she ran past the gates, and in the distance, she saw a figure she'd recognize anywhere.

That hair color. The yellow ribbon in her hair that she still had after all these years.

Chika took a deep breath, then brought her hands near her mouth.

"Honoka Kousaka!" she shouted toward the figure, desperate to not let her chance slip away.

The figure stopped.

Please.

Please be her.

Chika watched with bated breath as the person started to turn around.

Please…

…!

Honoka Kousaka was looking back at her.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone.

Thank you for reading the first chapter of this story, hopefully I was able to keep your interest up until this point.

Just to explain the age gap, Sunshine takes place after the 5th anniversary of the first Love Live, which means it takes place 3-4 years after SIP.

I hope you'll be able to stick with me throughout this story if you've enjoyed this first chapter.


	2. Change in Plans

Chika had called out to and stopped her, but now she didn't know what to do. It was difficult for her to believe that this might really be happening.

Honoka Kousaka, the person responsible for her motivation in becoming a school idol, was staring right at her.

She still looked the same. She did appear just a bit more mature, and her hair was a little longer, but there was no doubt.

Every time Chika watched videos of µ's, her attention always seemed to gravitate toward their leader. Watching her was always so captivating, and she possessed the shine that inspired her to find her own. And her eyes…

They were…big?

Why were they bigger than when she first spotted her?

By the time Chika pieced together that Honoka was coming toward her, they were already only a foot apart from each other.

Honoka had a bright smile on her face as she looked into Chika's eyes.

"You're Takami-san, right?! All of you were great!" Honoka exclaimed, beaming with energy.

However, Chika was caught off guard.

She suddenly met someone that most school idol groups look up to, and that same person was praising her group?

No way.

Honoka continued speaking though.

"…and then when you all did…well, it was like this, right?" Honoka asked as she tried to imitate the same move from the dance, then almost tripped, but brushed it off with a laugh.

"That was amazing! How long did that take to practice?"

Was this really happening? It's not a lie, right?

This was all real, right?

"Ah, I wish I recorded it too! Well, I can always watch it later…" Honoka mumbled to herself, then froze for a moment when she noticed it.

Tears had started to form in Chika's eyes.

"H-Hey! What's wrong!? Did I do something?!" Honoka frantically wondered why the leader of Aqours was crying in front of her.

Honoka reached out her arms, then stopped right in front of Chika, conflicted.

She wanted to try to console her, but she was still a stranger to her. There was no way she could just hug her.

As Honoka had her arms raised awkwardly near Chika wondering what to do, Chika suddenly moved forward and wrapped her arms around Honoka's back while burying her face in her shoulder.

"Eh…?!" Honoka murmured in surprise as she looked down at the girl occupying her shoulder.

Chika had no idea why she suddenly started crying, nor why she was now clinging to someone she just met in person only a few minutes ago.

But she had to make sure.

"…are you really Kousaka-san?" Chika asked in a whisper, the question barely reaching Honoka's ears.

Honoka was confused by the question, but she decided to just answer truthfully.

She was silent for a few more moments, then finally relaxed and brought her hands down, embracing Chika.

"Mhm," Honoka answered quietly with a small smile.

Chika stayed there for a few moments, then eventually looked up at Honoka's face.

She knew she wasn't acting like herself. She also felt a bit guilty about forcing her feelings on Honoka like this.

Just one more time.

She just needed to hear it one more time.

"Really? This isn't a dream?" Chika asked, ready to pinch herself if needed.

Honoka felt a bit embarrassed about it all, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

Nobody in µ's expected the amount of recognition that they'd receive after they disbanded. It had become a lot less common over the years, but they'd all still rarely have people approach them and ask if they were from µ's.

However, this was the first time that Honoka had seen anyone so ecstatic about it. She didn't know how to react to it all.

But she still gave the answer that Chika wanted.

"It's real."

* * *

"The whole gym, huh…" Honoka trailed off as she started to wonder how many people that would require.

After Chika had calmed down and was finally convinced that she didn't need to apologize so much for what she did, Honoka decided to change the subject. Now, Chika was telling her the story of Aqours.

Chika smiled as she continued.

"Mhm, so we went everywhere we could think of. You-chan and Riko-chan helped me give away flyers, and we were really excited about it! And You-chan made these cute outfits, so we wanted to show them to everyone."

"I know what you mean!" Honoka replied happily, then pulled out her phone from her pocket.

"Kotori-chan always knew the perfect outfits for each song. Look, she even still sends us drawings of her designs now," she said as she held the phone in front of them both, then swiped through her gallery.

Chika's eyes lit up with each picture.

"These are amazing! Minami-san is so good!" Chika said excitedly, and Honoka quickly nodded in response.

"I know, right? Ah, but Umi-chan was really embarrassed about wearing them at the start. She'd go…"

Honoka then tried her best impression of an embarrassed Umi desperately trying to make her skirt not reveal as much, and she was relieved that the real Umi wasn't around to scold her.

Chika laughed quietly at the mental image, then it reminded her.

"Riko-chan was like that too! She said she didn't want to be a school idol anymore after she saw it, but now…"

"She likes it now, right?" Honoka guessed, and Chika nodded.

Honoka smiled softly.

Aqours really did remind her of all the happy memories she's experienced.

"Our first performance was-" Honoka tried to continue the conversation, but was cut off by the sound of her own ringtone.

She looked at the caller's name, then her eyes widened as she remembered.

She was supposed to go out with Umi and Kotori once she got back.

"Sorry, I have to take this…" Honoka apologized in a quiet voice, and Chika motioned that it was okay.

She was curious though as to why Honoka looked worried.

Honoka started to walk away so she could talk privately, and Chika glanced up at the sky.

She didn't expect to have anything in common with Honoka.

To her and most school idol groups, µ's and A-RISE were basically legends. Everyone saw them as a height that they'd never reach.

Sarah told her that there was no easy way to find out why µ's was so great. That she'd simply have to win and see what they saw.

But with one of the members right next to her…

She was starting to get an idea.

"Chika-chan!"

Chika was snapped out of her thoughts by the voice and turned her head towards the school gate.

It was You.

Chika smiled brightly and started waving at her.

"You-chan!"

You's expression turned to one of relief as she jogged over to Chika, then stopped just short of her and started to collect her breath.

"…we've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing here?" You asked with a quiet sigh as she stood straight up, finally recovered.

Chika ignored the question though as she gently gripped You's shoulders.

"You-chan, You-chan! Don't you recognize her?! Look!" Chika was full of excitement, then turned back to look at Honoka.

But.

"H-Huh…?"

Nobody was there.

"Huh? Where'd she go?" Chika asked confused, then started to search in the area around her, even checking nearby bushes.

"Where'd who go?" You asked as she peeked over Chika's shoulder, curious.

"Honoka Kousaka! I was just talking to Kousaka-san!"

You's eyes widened when she heard the name.

"Kousaka-san is here? Really?" she asked excitedly as she glanced around, then Chika thought of the worst.

"Don't tell me…"

You raised an eyebrow as Chika started to pinch herself.

"It really was a dream!?"

* * *

"No, don't go without me, I'm sorry!" Honoka begged for mercy from the irritated voice on the other end of the phone.

She had walked away from Chika so that she could talk privately, but she forgot to stop walking as she became lost in the conversation.

When she learned that Aqours was performing a second time in the same day, it made her forget all about her promise.

A promise that she'd been looking forward to for a whole week.

She was supposed to visit a new sweets shop with Umi and Kotori.

Now, she had to convince Umi to not crush her dreams.

"_You won't be able to make it back in time if you haven't even left yet…" _

Honoka pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment to check the time, then immediately brought it back.

"I can if I drive fast!" Honoka said assuredly.

"_Just how fast are you thinking of going?!" _

The response was loud enough to make Honoka wince, then she laughed quietly in embarrassment. She couldn't really argue against that. She knew that Umi was only worried about her.

Honoka realized that she wouldn't be able to go to the shop today, so she suggested a change to the plan.

"What if we just went tomorrow?" she asked, hopeful that neither of them were busy that day.

Umi was silent for a few moments, then spoke.

"_Well we could…but that doesn't mean Kotori and I can't go by ourselves today, right?"_

Honoka immediately pouted.

"But you said we'd all go together for the first time!" she complained lightly, then a soft laugh came through the phone's speaker.

"_Okay, we'll go tomorrow then. But…do you still plan on coming back tonight?"_

Honoka raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? Yes, I was…why?" she asked curiously.

"_You don't like driving when it's dark, right?" _Umi quickly reminded her, and Honoka sighed softly.

That was right.

The sun was still out now, but because she stayed longer than expected, it would turn dark in the middle of her drive to Tokyo.

She wasn't that comfortable driving normally, let alone at night.

Honoka groaned quietly as she rubbed the back of her head, trying to think of an answer.

"Then…I'll just have to find a place to stay, I guess?" she answered unconvincingly, not entirely sure of it herself.

She could barely find the venue for the qualifiers even with Umi's directions, so she didn't know how she was supposed to find an inn. She also didn't know if the money she had on hand would even be enough to afford a one-night stay.

"_Do you want me to come get you?" _

Umi's offer brought her back to reality, but she quickly denied it. She couldn't make Umi drive that long just for her.

Umi wasn't entirely convinced, but Honoka ended the call saying that she'd manage on her own somehow.

She sighed again, then turned around.

"Takami-san, do you-" she started to ask, but quickly cut herself off when she saw nobody there.

"Huh?"

* * *

"…I'm home," Chika said dejectedly as she entered the house and took off her shoes.

She had tried to explain what happened earlier to the rest of Aqours, and after the initial surprise, they all said that they believed her.

But it didn't make her feel better about it. She also knew that the others would want to meet Honoka as well, so she felt a bit guilty about being the only one to talk to her.

"I wish I could've taken a picture at least…" Chika murmured to herself.

Chika's mother then peeked her head into the entranceway.

"Oh, Chika! You're back! Sorry, but could you show this person to her room? I need to stay at the counter," she asked apologetically, but Chika didn't mind it. She and her sisters would occasionally have to help out, so it was normal to her.

"Sure, what room is-"

Chika stopped talking and froze when she stepped inside the lobby and saw the guest.

However, the guest's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Chika-chan!" Honoka said with a bright smile.

A miracle happened.


	3. Takami Inn

"It's so big! I can't believe you really live here, Chika-chan!" Honoka said in amazement after she slid the door to her guest room open.

Chika felt a small sting in her heart as she heard that.

"Actually, my room is a lot smaller…" Chika admitted in a whisper, feeling a bit jealous, but Honoka didn't hear it.

A small smile appeared on Chika's lips.

She still couldn't believe that she was able to meet Honoka a second time. Earlier, when she noticed that Honoka was gone, she thought that was the end of it all.

But as Honoka explained to her, the real reason that she disappeared was that she became lost in a conversation with Umi Sonoda. Over sweets.

Chika's mental image of the flawless idol Honoka Kousaka was slowly crumbling away. The truth was that she was a much more carefree person, who could also be clumsy and forgetful.

However, Chika was starting to prefer the new image of Honoka.

After a few more moments of Honoka walking around the room, Chika decided to guess what she was looking for.

"Ah, you just passed it Kousaka-san. Right there," she tried to help, but Honoka only gave a blank look in response.

"Huh? Here?" Honoka asked as she turned the opposite direction, and Chika couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Right…here," Chika said as she walked toward the small closet that unfairly matched the wall's colors, then opened the door.

She crouched down to pick up the neatly folded futon, then almost fell over when her shoulder was lightly bumped.

"So that's where it was!" Honoka announced happily as she crouched next to Chika, apparently not noticing the contact made.

Chika turned her head to look, then froze up.

Close.

Her face was way too close.

A light blush appeared on Chika's cheeks as she leaned back, earning a look of confusion from Honoka in response.

"Huh? What's wrong, Chika-chan?" she asked innocently, tilting her head a bit as she looked at Chika's face.

Chika was thankful that it was at least somewhat dark in the small space, her blush kept secret.

Still, why was she so conscious of Honoka?

And if she was this conscious, how could she casually cling to her earlier? Just thinking back to it was enough to make Chika embarrassed.

And another thing…

"Um…why are you calling me that?" Chika asked the question that'd been on her mind for a while now.

Honoka still wore a blank expression though, not understanding.

"What do you mean? Did I say something weird?"

Chika averted her gaze.

"Well, you know…Chika-chan. Isn't that weird?" Chika asked nervously.

It did make her happy, but it still felt a bit odd. They had only just met that day, after all.

Plus, to her, Honoka felt like someone she should always be respectful of, so to be so casual wasn't-

"Why? We're already friends, right?" Honoka interrupted her thoughts, answering as if it was obvious.

Chika was silent for a few moments, then smiled as she started to feel silly for worrying about it.

"Then I'll also…" Chika started, then took in a short breath to ready herself.

…

"H-Honoka…Honoka-ch…Honoka-san," she said quietly, a feeling of defeat washing over her.

There was no way she could call her Honoka-chan right away.

Honoka didn't seem to mind it though.

"Mhm! Let's get along, Chika-chan!" Honoka answered happily while giving her a thumbs-up.

Chika quickly nodded.

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Okay…right there is good."

Chika was standing a few feet away from Honoka, her phone in her hands as she aimed the camera toward Honoka.

This time, she would get proof that Honoka Kousaka was actually in Numazu.

She would've preferred for the rest of Aqours to actually meet Honoka in person, but it was already getting late into the night.

Earlier, when she remembered that her friends would want to see Honoka, she ran up to her room to get Riko since she was the closest, but the lights in her room were already off and Chika received no response to the texts she sent to her.

She would try to send everybody a message in the morning, but in case that didn't work out, she wanted at least photo evidence.

Honoka smiled softly as she patiently waited for her picture to be taken, but Chika's finger didn't move for the button just yet.

She was too busy staring at the small screen with awe.

From the moment that they first met, all the way until now, they'd been engaged in conversation. Maybe being distracted by talking was the reason that she hadn't noticed it, but…

Staring at Honoka like this, she was really…

"Pretty…"

"Hm? Sorry, what did you say?" Honoka asked, wondering if she had to do something else for the picture.

Meanwhile, the blush from earlier returned to Chika's face as she realized that she said it aloud.

"Nothing! Okay, I'm taking it now!" Chika explained quickly, deciding that it'd be dangerous to be lost in her thoughts any longer.

Chika finally took the picture, then sighed in relief as she lowered her phone, thankful that Honoka didn't seem suspicious of her.

When Chika told her that it was fine to move, Honoka immediately took out her phone, then looked at Chika expectantly.

"Alright, my turn," she announced energetically, while Chika gave her a confused look.

"Turn…? For what?"

Honoka had a playful smile on her face as she walked toward Chika, then she suddenly put her arm around Chika's far shoulder and pulled her close.

"I get to take one too, right? I just have to show them that I met you, Chika-chan," Honoka suggested with a smile.

Meanwhile, Chika was having a difficult time staying composed.

"Y-Yeah, sure…" Chika stammered out as she looked away from Honoka, who then looked at her worriedly.

"Chika-chan…? Are you okay?" Honoka asked as she moved their positions and was now holding the back of her hand to Chika's forehead.

Chika felt like she could hear her own heartbeat at that moment.

"Eh!? I'm fine! Totally fine!" Chika explained unconvincingly, her eyes practically spinning.

Honoka raised a brow.

"Are you sure? You're really red," Honoka stated matter-of-factly, then leaned in closer to her.

That was her limit.

"I-I'll be right back!" Chika exclaimed in a rush, then immediately left the room and closed the sliding door behind her.

Honoka slowly lowered her outstretched arm as she looked at the door with worry, then she turned back around to the room.

She picked up her bag off the ground, then started to rummage through the contents, hoping that she was carrying fever medicine by chance.

* * *

Chika sat down in the hallway, her back against the wall to Honoka's room as she held her head in her hands.

That wasn't like her. She knew that it wasn't like her at all. To get embarrassed over that much contact, and even run away from the situation, was something that she'd never done before.

But she genuinely didn't know how to react.

She could hold hands with Riko, or hug You, or even do a dance that required physical contact with anybody in Aqours, and she'd be perfectly fine.

So why were her emotions all over the place now!?

Chika took a deep breath to steady herself, then continued her train of thought.

Calm down.

What was the difference between Honoka and, for example, You?

She'd known You for a lot longer. You was definitely more familiar to her.

But she could do the same things that she could do with You with somebody like Ruby, Yoshiko or Dia, and she'd be fine. Even when she had only just met the other members of Aqours, she was already fine with that level of contact.

But with Honoka…

…

Chika continued to think for a few more minutes, then eventually fully calmed down.

She stood up, then knocked on the door to Honoka's room before sliding the door open.

Chika's eyes slightly widened when she saw the state of the room.

Honoka's bag was on the ground sideways with the contents spilled out on the floor, the door to the restroom was open, and Chika could see the opened shelves from where she stood.

"Huh…? What's–" Chika started to question, then cut herself off when she saw Honoka running toward her.

"Chika-chan, are you okay!? Is your fever better? I couldn't find any medicine, but I can go find a shop if you need some," Honoka said quickly as she gently grabbed Chika's hands with hers.

Chika was taken aback.

Honoka really did all this? Just for her?

Chika wasn't aware of how she looked when she left the room, but it must've been bad to make her worry that much. She felt a bit guilty about it all.

With that said, there was no way she could tell Honoka the real reason that she left the room earlier.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Sorry to…" Chika started, but trailed off when she finally noticed her hands, coupled with how close Honoka was to her face again.

Her blush returned.

"Is the fever back!?" Honoka asked in a hurry, but Chika quickly shook her head while mentally cursing her own heart for going crazy.

"No!"

* * *

With the talk of Chika's fever cleared up, and the room now clean, the two of them had moved onto a different conversation topic.

Honoka had wanted to continue the conversation from earlier, about how Aqours formed. Naturally, Chika obliged.

At the end of it, Honoka leaned back from her cross-legged position and looked up at the ceiling.

"It sounds like you found an amazing group," Honoka said warmly with a smile.

Chika swallowed subconsciously due to nervousness.

If now wasn't the perfect time to ask, then when?

"Uhm, Honoka-san, can I ask you for a favor?"

Honoka turned her gaze back to Chika, then stared for a moment in silence when she noticed the serious expression on her face.

She sat up straight, then slowly nodded.

"Sure…what is it?"

Chika let out a quiet breath.

"You see…I think that everybody else wants to meet you too. No, I know they do!" Chika started, then smiled softly.

"I know you live in Tokyo, and that it wouldn't be easy, but…do you think you could come watch us practice sometime? I know that I'm being selfish, so…"

Chika moved her hands from her lap, then suddenly bowed.

"Please!"

She didn't want her friends to only see a picture. She also didn't want them to only meet her for a few minutes before she left to go back to Tokyo.

She wanted them all to come to know her, just like she did.

Honoka stared at Chika in amazement for a few moments, then smiled.

She was planning on asking Chika for the same thing.

"Of course! I'll come back really soon, I promise!"

Chika immediately sat back up, then excitedly looked at Honoka.

"Really!?"

"Yup! Just leave it to me!" Honoka answered confidently, and the two of them quickly began to make plans.

After a few more minutes, a soft knock sounded on the door, and Shima poked her head in the doorway.

"Chika-chan, you know that you have school tomorrow, right?" she asked worriedly, and Chika realized that she had lost track of time.

"Ah, I'll go to bed soon Shima-nee! Sorry!" Chika apologized, knowing that neither her nor Mito could disobey Shima.

Shima gave a soft smile before closing the door, and Chika sighed quietly.

She turned back toward Honoka with a sad expression.

"Sorry Honoka-san, I have to-" she started to explain, but Honoka waved her hand to say that it was okay.

"It's fine, it's fine! We'll see each other soon anyway, right?" Honoka said convincingly with a smile, and Chika relaxed.

"Mhm! I can't wait!" Chika answered happily, and after a few more words, she left the room.

Honoka collapsed onto the futon shortly after, then held out her phone in front of her.

She looked at the picture of her and Chika that Chika had finally agreed to take, then smiled.

She set it as her wallpaper, then fell asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone!

First off, I apologize for the wait on this chapter. I've been busy with studying among other things.

I should have some more free time after the 28th of this month, so there won't be a new chapter until at least then, but hopefully once that day comes I'll be able to update this story more frequently. Again, I'm very sorry for the slow releases.

Anyway, next chapter we'll get to see Honoka meeting the rest of Aqours. That should be fun.

As always, thank you all for reading! I really appreciate it.


	4. Proposition

"That's it."

The table fell silent at the suddenly serious tone of voice, and two pairs of eyes turned to look at the one who spoke.

They could feel the tension in the air, and one of them swallowed subconsciously due to nervousness.

…

..!

An outstretched hand made its way toward one of the girls, then swiftly struck downwards.

The strawberry had been taken off of her plate.

"Umi-chan! Why!?" Honoka cried out, feeling betrayed as she stared at the now empty spot on her plate.

Umi turned her gaze away, not wanting to be swayed by the look in Honoka's eyes.

"It's your fault for taking pieces of my cake, you know? It's only fair," Umi defended herself, then took a quick peek at Honoka.

"But I was saving that for last…" Honoka sulked.

Just then, a shining angel appeared for her.

"Here, Honoka-chan!" Kotori said with a smile as she held out her fork toward Honoka, a strawberry attached to the end of it.

Honoka perked up, her eyes glistening as she stared at the offering.

"A-Are you sure, Kotori-chan?" she asked patiently, and Kotori quickly nodded.

"Mhm!" Kotori answered happily, and Honoka offered a silent prayer to the goddess before her.

Honoka leaned forward to accept it, but a hand reached forward and stole that one as well.

"Umi-chan!" Honoka immediately complained, but Umi had a faint blush on her cheeks as she refused to meet her eyes.

* * *

"Huh? Already?" Umi asked, taken aback.

Honoka had told them about her experience in Numazu, and how she had already made plans to go back within a few days.

"Yup! I don't know how long I'll stay though," Honoka answered nonchalantly as she happily took another bite of cake.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" Kotori asked with a slight tilt of her head, and Honoka gave her a thumbs-up with a confident smile.

"Don't worry, don't worry! I'll be at Chika-chan's place, so I won't be alone!"

Umi looked at her worriedly though.

"Are you sure that you wouldn't be interrupting their practice?" Umi asked quietly, then immediately went to correct herself when she saw the expression change on Honoka's face.

"N-Not like that! I mean…" Umi trailed off, then sighed softly.

"It's…crazy to think about, but a lot of people still talk about µ's. And if this group is like how Takami-san explained it to you…then they'd most likely drop whatever they're doing to meet you, right?"

Honoka didn't know how to respond to that. She knew that the others had stories of being stopped in the middle of important matters and being asked for a photo, or autograph, and even she had experienced it herself sometimes.

She had never thought about it that way. But…

Was wanting to be around Aqours really a bad thing?

…

They talked for a bit longer after that.

Umi was apologetic, feeling that she phrased what she wanted to say incorrectly, but Honoka and Kotori assured her that she was right.

In the school idol world, µ's and A-RISE were still famous, and whether they were comfortable with it or not, many school idols still looked up to them. It's possible that Honoka could be a distraction to Aqours.

She still wanted to see them though.

…

Now, a few days after that conversation, Honoka let out a quiet breath as she gripped the steering wheel.

"To Numazu!" she sounded off to nobody in particular, then started driving.

* * *

The nine members of Aqours were standing at their school's entrance.

The day after their performance, Chika lied to the rest of them, saying that the talk about Honoka being there was all a lie.

Nobody got mad, as they found it hard to believe in the first place, but they thought it was uncharacteristic for Chika to joke like that. Regardless, they continued practicing like normal.

Now, a few days afterwards, Chika suddenly told them that Honoka was coming to their school.

"D-Do you really think she's coming…?" Riko asked, becoming skeptical as they had already been waiting for ten minutes.

"She said that she was on the way…" Chika explained quietly, but she was becoming unsure.

She pulled out her phone to re-read the messages.

"When did she say that she'd be here?" You asked as she peeked over Chika's shoulder to read, and Chika sighed.

"She didn't say…"

The group went silent for a moment after that, but then someone spoke.

"Don't worry, my little demons. I've set up a barrier around the school, and I'll tell you when I feel her presence," Yoshiko assured them, but Hanamaru looked at her skeptically.

"Then why didn't you say anything about that person?" Hanamaru asked as she motioned toward a nearby sidewalk.

"Where!?" Yoshiko immediately looked for the person, and Hanamaru smiled slightly.

"Yoshiko-chan is gullible, zura."

Realizing what had happened, Yoshiko blushed a bit in embarrassment.

"A-Am not! And it's Yohane!" she corrected her.

Used to the conversation that was happening next to them, the others continued their conversation from earlier.

"Do you really think she's coming?" Kanan asked as she leaned against the wall, and she was quickly answered.

"She is!" Dia responded confidently, and Ruby, who was standing next to her, nodded.

Kanan raised a brow.

"What makes you so sure?" she asked curiously, and Dia crossed her arms.

"Chika-san said she was coming, so she's definitely coming," Dia responded as if it was obvious, and Ruby nodded in agreement once again.

Mari smirked, then leaned closer toward Dia.

"You really just want to meet Honoka-san, right?" she asked teasingly, and Dia jumped a bit in surprise.

"N-Not really…" Dia murmured as she gently scratched the area around her mole.

Kanan and Mari both grinned.

However, Ruby turned to her sister with wide eyes.

"O-Onee-chan…you don't want to meet her…?" Ruby asked quietly as her eyes started to well up.

Dia panicked for a short moment, but then quickly pulled Ruby into a hug.

"Of course I do!" she admitted with a small blush.

The rest of them watched the scene with warm expressions, then a voice snapped them out of it.

"Meet who?"

Dia narrowed her eyes, finding it unbelievable that someone forgot something that important.

"Weren't you paying attention? Honoka-san, of Mu-" she started to explain as she turned around, but froze when she realized that she was in front of the person herself.

"H-H-H-H-" Dia stammered, unable to say the name as she went into a state of shock.

Everyone besides Chika stared in amazement.

Dia, Mari, Kanan and Ruby had been interested in school idols for a long time, so actually meeting someone from µ's in person completely stunned them.

And while You, Yoshiko, Hanamaru and Riko had only become really interested recently, they found it hard to believe as well.

The real person was standing in front of them after all.

They were all going through what Chika had experienced a while ago. Comparing the past to the present.

While Honoka still mostly looked how she did before, there were noticeable differences.

But it was undoubtedly the same person.

Chika weaved her way through the rest of Aqours, and then smiled happily as she stood in front of her.

"Honoka-san! You really came!"

Honoka reached a hand out and patted Chika's head excitedly.

They hadn't been apart for that long, but she really missed her.

"Of course! I said I would!" Honoka replied with a smile of her own, and Chika quickly turned back around toward Aqours.

"I'm sorry for-" she started to explain, but the others quickly passed her and surrounded Honoka as Chika was left confused.

"Ruby," Dia signaled.

"Yes, Onee-chan!" Ruby replied, then handed Dia a pen & a notebook.

When Chika had told them that Honoka was coming, even if it was another joke, Dia and Ruby wanted to be ready for it.

Dia bowed while holding out the notebook and pen toward Honoka.

"M-May we please have your autograph!?" Dia tried to ask it as she rehearsed, but still ended up stammering a bit.

Honoka stared at the items in astonishment for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Actually…" Honoka started, and Dia looked up from the bow as the rest of Aqours watched as well.

She reached into her bag, then slowly took out a rolled-up paper along with a pen.

"Zura?"

"Is that…?"

Hanamaru and Yoshiko had an idea, as did the others, based on what Chika had told them before.

But there was no way…right?

Honoka showed an embarrassed smile, then unrolled the paper to reveal a poster for Aqours.

"I wanted yours too!" she confessed, and the others stared in amazement once again.

Then it clicked.

"Does that mean…" Kanan started, and Mari continued for her.

"What Chika-chan said was true?"

Chika, having recovered from being ignored earlier, tilted her head in confusion as her name was brought up.

"Huh? What'd I say?" she asked honestly.

Riko put a finger to her own chin as she thought of it.

"If I remember right…didn't you say that Honoka-san watched us?"

"I remember that too!" You quickly agreed, and the groups' eyes turned expectantly toward Honoka.

Honoka looked back at them, then blushed lightly and turned her gaze away, a bit overwhelmed by their attention.

"I-I've been a fan of you all for a while…" Honoka admitted in an uncharacteristically timid tone.

"Oh, pretty!"

"Huh?" Honoka turned to look toward the voice, then widened her eyes when the poster was grabbed out of her hands.

"H-Hey!" she protested, but Mari winked and started running toward the school.

"Mari!?" Kanan called out, but Mari kept going.

"My poster…" Honoka quickly sulked, but then Chika grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Honoka-san!" she said cheerfully, then took off running after Mari with a stammering Honoka behind her.

The others were quick to follow.

* * *

They were worried for nothing.

Mari had led them all to the clubroom so that they could sign the poster without worrying about tearing through it, as there wasn't a stable flat surface near the school gate.

After the initial shock had passed and everybody in Aqours received an autograph, as well as Honoka's poster had been signed by everybody, they all sat down inside the clubroom.

Dia and Ruby had conveniently seated themselves next to Honoka.

But the conversation had turned to an odd topic.

"Advisor?" Honoka asked with a tilt of her head, and Chika nodded.

"Mhm! Well, you're not a teacher, but you could kind of be one, right?"

"That's a good idea! We'd learn all kinds of stuff!" You quickly agreed with a smile, and Chika smiled back.

"Right!?"

"But Honoka-san isn't staying here, so that's not possible, right?" Dia intervened as she glanced to Honoka, but Honoka's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered.

"Ah, we actually have a break coming up in a week!"

"Really!?" Ruby asked happily as she leaned toward Honoka, who nodded back.

"Yeah!" Honoka answered, and they both smiled.

Meanwhile, Yoshiko laughed quietly.

"It seems my circle of minions is growing," she said confidently, but then blushed in a panic when she realized it.

"Ah, that's not-" Yoshiko quickly tried to correct herself, feeling a bit embarrassed by acting as Yohane in front of Honoka, but Honoka stood up from her chair.

"Oh, I know that! I saw that one video of you all, it went like this, right?" Honoka said enthusiastically as she let out a quick breath, then her face turned serious.

She imitated Yoshiko's 'fallen angel' pose.

"I'm Yohane-sama's little demon, number…wait, what number would I be?" she asked quickly, and the others gave her a blank look, save for Yoshiko.

She looked really happy.

"W-Well if you want to be one of my demons that badly, I-I'll let you!" Yoshiko said as she averted her eyes.

"You seem really proud, zura," Hanamaru pointed out.

Mari stood up.

Everyone's attention turned away from the fallen angel act, and it was now on Mari, who was now pointing at Honoka.

"Will you do it then?" she asked with a smile.

"Eh?" Honoka responded, confused.

"As the director of this school, I can give you permission to come and go as you please. So, I'm asking if you want to be our advisor," Mari continued, completely serious.

The others were quiet for a moment, as they had thought that train of thought was simply a joke, or just impossible.

But now Mari was offering to make it a reality.

Their gazes turned to Honoka, who had yet to answer.

"I…" she started, but then remembered.

Umi had talked about this exact thing a few days ago.

If she accepted, would she be helping Aqours? Or just distracting them?

They were the ones who asked, so maybe…

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly realized that she hadn't replied yet.

"Uhm…sorry, but…can I think about it?"

* * *

A short while after that, the group split up, promising to meet again the next day.

Dia and Ruby had wanted to go to Chika's house along with Honoka, but they knew that they would need their parents' permission first, so they reluctantly gave up.

Now, Honoka was set up in her guest room.

She and Chika had talked for a bit about miscellaneous topics, then Chika went to leave.

"I'll come by your room in the morning, okay?" Chika said with a small smile and started to leave, but she was stopped as the cuff of her sleeve was grabbed.

"Chika-chan, can I talk to you about something?" Honoka asked in a whisper.

Chika's mind immediately started racing.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone.

This chapter was...a bit difficult to write, mainly because I couldn't find any sort of reference for someone meeting a person that they admire. I could handle it in chapter 2 since it was just Chika, but now Honoka had to meet the rest of the cast, so I hope I was able to do a decent job of keeping it realistic and true to their characters.

This is also my first time trying a story for Sunshine, so I'm going to try my best to make sure that their personalities are represented correctly. I'm also well aware that Yoshiko and Hanamaru, along with others of the cast, are more than just their catchphrases and gags. However, those are vital parts of their personalities, so I'll try to find the right balance.

Thank you all for reading.


	5. It's Not like That, Right?

Chika breathed a sigh of relief as she and Honoka walked down the hallway.

Earlier, when Honoka had suddenly told her that she wanted to talk, she didn't know how long the conversation would last, so she offered to prepare tea.

But Honoka said that she was relying on her too much, so Honoka ended up following her into the kitchen despite Chika's pleading.

Thankfully, they managed to prepare the tea without Chika's mother or sisters finding out about it. That section of the house was supposed to be off-limits to guests, and Chika dreaded the thought of Mito finding out about it.

Now, they were safely back inside Honoka's room and starting to relax.

"Honoka-san, you don't have to check it again…" Chika said quietly, but then showed a small smile.

"I do! I have to see if it went up!" Honoka answered defiantly as her finger moved on the touchpad of her laptop.

Chika held her breath for a few moments, though she knew the result likely didn't change since the last time.

And, just as predicted…

Honoka groaned as she leaned back and held her head with her hands.

"Why won't it go up!?" she asked for the fifth time within only a few minutes.

Chika laughed embarrassedly, then after a few moments, leaned to the slide and glanced at the monitor.

Fifty-eight.

Only fifty-eight students out of the one-hundred needed had applied to Uranohoshi by now.

Chika crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

"If we make a few more songs between now and then…oh, maybe some videos too! We could show everyone the good things about our town again…"

Honoka glanced confusedly at Chika, who was busy mumbling to herself.

"You're not worried, Chika-chan?"

The question snapped Chika out of her daze, and then she gave Honoka a blank look in response as she tilted her head slightly.

"Huh? Worried about what?"

Puzzled by the response, Honoka moved her body back toward the table, then reached toward the laptop and turned it toward Chika.

"Look! We only have this many!" she said, including herself in their group, as she pointed toward the screen.

Chika stared at the number for a few moments due to Honoka's request.

Fifty-eight.

Not too long ago, that number was zero. Then, their group managed to turn it into a one.

They were still far away from the number they needed. And there wasn't a lot of time left.

But that didn't matter.

"Well, we just need to get one-hundred then, right?" Chika answered as if it was obvious.

"Huh?"

Chika smiled a bit.

"We'll definitely get it. So, there's no point worrying about it now, right?"

Honoka stared at Chika in silence for a bit.

Otonokizaka was previously in danger of shutting down as well. What was it that she did at that time?

She made Umi and Kotori join her, and then Maki, Rin, and Hanayo joined, and eventually they got Nico, Eli and Nozomi as well. Then they…

Just…continued as idols?

That's right. She never constantly worried about it. Sure, it was on her mind from time to time, but the most important thing for her was performing as a school idol with the rest of µ's.

When did she become so worried about things like this?

And if the person herself wasn't too concerned about the current number of applicants…

Honoka quickly stood up with newfound energy as she smiled and looked at Chika.

"Let's go film a video then! Or make lyrics, or a costume!" she suggested immediately, but Chika gave her a panicked look.

"Honoka-san! You have to be-" she tried to warn her, but Honoka continued.

"We can make lots of songs, and we'll do tons of performances! If everybody sees them, we could reach one-hundred tomorrow, right!?"

As Honoka was getting ahead of herself, quick footsteps sounded throughout the hall.

Then, the sliding door slid open a bit, just wide enough for Honoka and Chika to notice the piercing glare aimed at them.

"S-Sorry…" they both apologized on instinct, the energy from before suddenly leaving Honoka.

* * *

After Mito had creatively helped the pair calm down, Chika eventually brought up the topic of Honoka having something to discuss.

Honoka stepped around the bush for some time, but with Chika encouraging her to continue, she eventually told her.

She explained what Umi and her had talked about before, and how Umi was worried that she would just be a distraction to Aqours.

Chika patiently listened to the full explanation, and then after Honoka was done, she spoke.

"You know, we really wanted to be like µ's once."

"Huh?" Honoka glanced up from the ground toward Chika, who was smiling.

"It's weird, right? When I learned that our school was closing, I actually got really excited! Like, 'wow, we're just like µ's!'"

"Chika-chan…?" Honoka interrupted, but Chika shook her head, wanting to continue.

"The first time we went to Tokyo, we ran up the steps that everyone said you all did. And Dia-san found your training schedule too! That was really tough! I don't know how you did that, Honoka-san!" Chika said excitedly, but then laughed quietly when she realized she was getting ahead of herself, then continued.

"But…in the last Love Live, even after all that, we still had zero people who wanted to come to our school's open house. We did everything like µ's did, but it was still zero."

"Oh…" Honoka murmured, but Chika shook her head once again, not finished.

Chika glanced at Honoka warmly.

"Then we stopped trying to be like µ's. We realized that we needed to do things our way, not chase after you," Chika answered quietly as she relaxed.

They discussed it amongst themselves a while ago. How they would create their own path and find their own shine.

But to actually look at the origin of their inspiration, and still manage to have that resolve…

Nothing could have made her happier in that moment.

Honoka didn't know how to respond, but Chika decided to finally answer Honoka's question.

"So…I think that if you came earlier, we would've tried to imitate you…but it's fine now. We want you with the new Aqours," Chika finished as she looked at Honoka happily.

But Honoka's face was slowly forming into something else.

"Chika-chan…." Honoka murmured as tears started to well up in her eyes, and then she dived toward Chika.

"Eh!? H-Hey!" Chika exclaimed in surprise, but Honoka happily latched on to her regardless.

* * *

After that, Honoka felt silly for being worried about it, and apologized for attacking Chika.

Then she agreed to be their unofficial advisor.

They decided to end things there for the night and separated. And as soon as Chika entered her room and slowly closed the door behind her…

"Alright!" she cheered excitedly in a quiet voice, still terrified at the prospect of Mito appearing again.

They would have Honoka with them!

It was true that they stopped trying to be like µ's, but…

Chika fell down on her bed and rolled around in excitement.

This was something entirely different!

"Ah!"

Chika sat back up as she thought to check something.

She had planned to tell everybody else about the situation with Honoka the next day, but if one of the people were right next to her…

She slid open the door to the balcony and smiled happily when she saw that the light was still on in the other room.

Without a second thought, her hands reached for her phone and started tapping the screen.

…

After ten messages consisting of only 'come out' were sent to Riko's phone, all with different variations on the spelling, the door on the opposite balcony finally slid open.

"Chika-chan!? What's wrong!?" Riko immediately asked in a panic, but quickly calmed down after noticing Chika's expression.

"Honoka-san said yes!" Chika announced happily as she held onto the railing, half of her torso sticking out toward Riko's balcony.

"Eh?"

"She said she'd do it! She'll be our advisor!"

Riko's face lit up.

"Really!?"

"Mhm! We can even start tomorrow!" Chika beamed with energy, and Riko gave a gentle smile in response.

"I'm happy for you," Riko said quietly, but Chika immediately gave her a confused look.

"Huh? Why me?" she asked seriously, and Riko laughed a bit.

Chika, the normal monster.

The very first time they had talked to each other, she had shown her a video of µ's.

When they had visited Otonokizaka, she was excited about possibly meeting someone from µ's.

She had even told her and You about how she wanted to meet Honoka the most.

Now, her dream had come true. And that was only the beginning.

"Nothing," Riko eventually responded, and Chika immediately pouted and started pressing her for an answer.

* * *

They continued to talk about the decision regarding Honoka for a while, but then Chika said something strange.

"When she…hugged you?" Riko questioned, wanting to make sure she wasn't misunderstanding.

Chika quickly nodded.

"Yeah! It was like…" Chika trailed off as she thought back to the moment.

It was exactly the same as the other times they were close. She couldn't help but be conscious of Honoka.

Her face would start to grow hot, and she could feel her heart beating faster. She wouldn't be able to think properly, and she'd sometimes get too nervous to say what she wanted to say.

And her attention would always be focused on…

Chika shook her head.

"I can't explain it…it's hard to act normal, I guess?" Chika said vaguely as she lightly held a finger to her chin.

Riko sighed quietly at the nonsensical explanation, then decided to start narrowing it down.

"Well, it's not like you like her, right?" she asked semi-jokingly, but Chika gave her a blank look.

"I do!" she responded quickly, but Riko waved her hand in front of herself.

"No, no, not like me or You-chan. Like…romantically," Riko explained, then looked away and smiled a bit at how unbelievable that would be.

She didn't even know why she suggested it. She'd probably been reading too many manga out of her collection recently.

However, when she glanced back toward Chika, she noticed that she had frozen up.

"Chika-chan?" Riko asked curiously with a slight head-tilt, unsure if she had heard her or not.

Without a word, Chika brought her hands to her mouth and turned away from Riko, then slid down the balcony's small wall as her thoughts started to go wild.

"C-Chika-chan!? Is that…really it?" Riko asked softly in a panic, struggling with the reality in front of her.

As for Chika…

No way.

No way no way no way no way no way.

Her…and Honoka-san. Was it really…?

She started to shake her head in her hands as she realized that Riko was right.


	6. Chika's Evasion

The rest of the night passed without any other troubles. Riko was shocked that her half-guess was actually correct, and Chika stated that she simply wanted to sleep on it.

Riko was concerned, but she wasn't in a position to do anything about the developing relationship.

The next morning, Honoka was walking along the halls of the inn, attempting to make her way to the house portion of the building.

"It's…here, right?" she mumbled to herself as she slowly slid open a door, but then quickly closed it upon seeing it was empty.

Her entire experience at the inn had been going from the entrance to her own room. Well, aside from the time she helped Chika prepare tea.

The reason that she wanted to enter that section of the building was simple.

She was excited.

After her talk with Chika ended last night, she had a difficult time going to sleep. All she could think about was the new experience with Aqours awaiting her.

She didn't have much experience being in charge of a group. Sure, she was the leader of µ's before they disbanded, but their practice sessions were mostly led by either Umi or Eli. Now, she'd have to try to come up with her own way of doing things.

She didn't know what she was going to do while Chika and the rest of Aqours were in school, but she did know that she wanted to see Chika as soon as she could.

She tried another door, and to her delight, a familiar face was sitting near a table, watching television.

"Mito-san?" Honoka called out, and Mito turned her head to look toward the door, then quickly jumped up in surprise.

"…Honoka-san, right…? What are you doing here?" she responded slowly, confused.

Normally, guests never went to that section of the building, and if they had any issues, they would go to the lobby, where Shima currently was. Yet Honoka was there.

"Do you know where Chika-chan is?" Honoka asked simply, as if her being there was natural.

Mito looked at her strangely for a moment, then sighed quietly after recalling how she first met Honoka. It was like she lived in her own carefree world.

"Chika? She already left, I think," Mito answered as she finally relaxed and sat back down on the floor.

"H-Huh? Really?" Honoka asked in disbelief.

"Mhm, seemed like she was in a hurry," Mito said nonchalantly, her gaze already returning to the television.

Honoka was confused.

She had woken up earlier than when she used to wake up for Otonokizaka. But Chika was gone already?

"I see…" Honoka answered quietly, then thanked Mito and left the room.

She was a bit sad that she missed Chika, but…

Honoka smiled as she started to walk back toward her room.

She'd just have to make up for it during practice.

* * *

"She already left. Why's everyone looking for Chika today? Did she do something?"

"Huh?"

Riko wasn't expecting that answer.

She had woken up early and went to her balcony, but the light in Chika's room was off. So she had gotten dressed, ate breakfast, and then headed to Takami Inn so she could talk to Chika about the situation.

However, Chika's sister was now telling her that Chika had already left.

After that, she thanked Mito, then decided to send a text to someone before heading to where she assumed Chika was.

* * *

Chika yawned as she sat on the bench near the bus stop and beach, then pulled out her phone to check the time once again.

She sighed quietly when she saw that the bus still wouldn't be there until a bit later.

What was she doing…?

Before she could become too wrapped up in her thoughts, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Chika-chan!"

Chika turned her head toward the sound, then spotted Riko jogging toward her.

"R-Riko-chan?!"

Chika stood up from the bench in confusion as Riko stopped in front of her, who then held her hands to her knees as she caught her breath.

"Riko-chan? Why are you here so early?" Chika asked with a slight tilt of her head.

After she caught her breath, Riko slowly stood up and let out a quiet sigh.

"I didn't think you'd actually avoid her…" Riko admitted quietly, still somewhat surprised.

When Chika had told her that she needed to sleep on it, it made Riko worried. She wasn't sure how Chika would react the next time she saw Honoka, so she wanted to be there in the morning to help out if she could.

But apparently, unbeknownst to her, her friend had already made plans to escape the situation.

Chika looked shocked for a moment at Riko's comment, but then laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

"…well, I thought maybe it'd be awkward, or something like that…" Chika said in an uncharacteristically timid tone, and Riko looked at her worriedly.

"You can't run from her forever, Chika-chan."

Chika blushed a bit as her face started to grow hot.

"W-What do I do, then?! I don't want to make Honoka-san uncomfortable…and I've never…liked anyone before," Chika admitted, saying the last words quietly as she averted her eyes for a moment.

Riko giggled softly, which quickly earned an embarrassed look from Chika.

"W-What? It's not that weird, right?" Chika said defensively as her blush grew deeper.

Riko smiled in amusement, then looked at Chika.

"It's just…I've never seen this side of you, Chika-chan," she answered calmly, then moved her gaze past Chika.

"And…maybe we can try to help you, if you'll let us."

Chika's expression turned to confusion.

"We…?" she murmured, then followed Riko's eyes.

"You-ch-!" Chika started, but then almost fell over as You lightly gripped her shoulders.

"Chika-chan, what's wrong?! Are you okay?!" You asked immediately, and Chika's eyes practically started rolling from how much she was being shaken back and forth.

"You-chan…" Chika weakly complained, and that combined with Riko smiling caused You to pause.

"Eh? What's going on? You said Chika-chan had a problem, right Riko-chan?" You asked to make sure, and Chika turned her head to look at Riko.

"Riko-chan?!"

"Sorry!" Riko immediately apologized, feeling a tad guilty at asking You to come without talking to Chika about it first.

But…

"You should tell her too though, right?" Riko suggested softly, and Chika was only quiet for a few moments as she glanced back and forth between Riko and You before nodding.

"Mhm, you're right. Um…You-chan…you see, I…"

Chika told You what she had already gone over with Riko last night. About how she feels about Honoka, and what being around her causes her to feel. How she didn't know if it really was her liking Honoka, but that seemed to be the most likely answer.

She also told them both how she didn't want to cause trouble for Honoka. That she wanted to know how to act normal around her so that things would return to how they were.

But…

"Instead of trying to make things normal, can't you just keep liking her?" You suggested simply, and Riko quickly agreed.

"E-Eh…? But…" Chika murmured in confusion, but You and Riko cut her off, insisting that it was fine.

After that, they talked about it a bit more, and Chika reluctantly agreed to their suggestions.

* * *

After the bus had arrived, and everyone met up at Uranohoshi, Chika announced to the rest of them that Honoka agreed to be their advisor.

The rest of Aqours were ecstatic, and the classes for the day seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye.

Now, they were all gathered in their clubroom, waiting for Honoka's arrival.

"She knows when our classes end, right?" Kanan asked as she threw a glance toward Chika.

They'd been waiting for ten minutes, which wasn't too long, but some of them found it odd that their 'new advisor' was late.

"I think so?" Chika answered oddly, as if she didn't know herself. Dia looked at her suspiciously.

"You did tell her, right?" Dia asked calmly.

Chika suddenly realized that she had meant to tell Honoka before she left that morning. But of course, she had decided that before her talk with Riko, so those plans quickly left her thoughts.

"Well-" Chika went to explain, but You suddenly laughed softly.

"It was pretty late when they got back last night, and Honoka-san wasn't there in the morning, right Chika-chan?" You answered for her, and Riko's eyes widened slightly as she caught on.

"Y-Yeah, you did say something about that!" Riko helped cover for Chika, but the other members looked at the trio curiously.

"You three are-" Mari started, but the door to the clubroom quickly slid open, and an out-of-breath Honoka stood in the doorway.

"S…sorry! I…forgot…the time…" Honoka explained slowly as she caught her breath, but the others didn't seem to mind as they smiled a bit upon seeing her.

…

Dia, Kanan and Mari finished explaining their current practice schedule to Honoka, who nodded once they were done.

"Mhm! That seems good!" Honoka answered excitedly, and Yoshiko looked back and forth between Honoka and the whiteboard with the schedule on it.

"Weren't we going to try Honoka-san's schedule?" she recalled their talk from yesterday after Honoka left.

"I remember that too, zura," Hanamaru agreed, and the rest of Aqours' eyes turned to the third-years, who looked like they suddenly remembered.

"That's right! Honoka-san, do you have something in mind for us?" Dia asked excitedly, and Honoka gave an awkward smile.

"I do…but Umi-chan and Eli-chan were always in charge of practice, so I just tried to take a few ideas from them…" Honoka said, a bit embarrassed as she reached into her bag and pulled out a sheet of paper.

Dia gently took it from Honoka, then everybody except Honoka surrounded Dia to take a look.

A few…less than excited sounds arose from the group, then Kanan reluctantly grabbed the paper from Dia and held it out toward Honoka.

"Honoka-san…this is impossible," she regretfully told her, and Honoka looked shocked.

…

After it was explained why Honoka's schedule was beyond the physical capabilities of humans, Honoka promised to come up with a better one, and they chose to simply follow Aqours' usual schedule for the day.

Honoka didn't exactly have to have experience as a coach in order to be of use. Normally, Aqours would either have one girl sitting out to catch mistakes, or they would watch the recording afterwards.

Now, however, they could all practice their roles in the dance freely, and it'd save them a lot of time during practice as well.

"Hanamaru-chan, a little more to your left!"

"Riko-chan, you need to turn faster there!"

"Dia-chan, you're-"

Honoka continued to comment on the performance where she could, though they had to restart a section after she called Dia's name, due to Dia's reaction.

They continued for a bit longer, and suddenly, Chika slightly missed a step and ended up tripping.

They all turned their attention to her to make sure she was okay, and Honoka quickly jogged to Chika and crouched beside her.

"Chika-chan, are you okay?" Honoka asked as she lightly touched her leg, searching for any potential scrapes.

A faint blush quickly appeared on Chika's face as she watched Honoka, but she quickly smiled.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Sorry!" she answered lightheartedly.

Honoka looked at her worriedly for a few moments, then glanced to everyone else before she stood up.

"Let's take a break, okay?" she suggested happily, and after seeing Chika fall, nobody could really argue that they didn't need one.

…

After the break was called, Riko and You approached Chika and started to whisper about the situation.

Honoka enthusiastically walked toward their circle, and upon hearing the hushed voices, she smiled a bit.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, but quickly became confused when Chika practically jumped in shock.

"W-W-We-" Chika tried to explain through stammers, but You lightly covered her mouth to stop her.

"Sorry! It's a secret!" You said carelessly after she was forced to talk for Chika, and Riko panicked as she waved her hands in front of herself.

"I-It's nothing! We're just…talking about…a gift for you? Yeah, a gift, so you can't be here, okay?!" Riko lied unconvincingly as she positioned herself behind Honoka, then lightly pushed her away despite Honoka's complaints.

Honoka wasn't convinced, but there was clearly something she wasn't supposed to know, so she reluctantly gave up, then joined the combined circle of the third-years and first-years.

At the same time…

"Chika-chan, you're hopeless…" You teased with an exaggerated sigh, and Riko looked at Chika worriedly.

"I think you just have to tell her at this point…" Riko suggested reluctantly.

She knew that Honoka and Chika were still newly acquainted, and that Chika's feelings for Honoka could actually be admiration.

But there was no way that Chika could go on like this.

"Eh?! Riko-chan, I can't! There's no-"

"You can talk to her, right?" You interrupted Chika.

Chika paused and looked at You, who quickly smiled.

"I think you should talk to her about it. She doesn't seem like a bad person, so maybe talking about it can help you sort things out, right?" she suggested, and Riko smiled too as she turned her eyes to Chika.

"You-chan's right. And we can be there with you just in case, right?" she suggested, and You nodded.

"Mhm! Oh, we can tell her for you if you want," You offered jokingly, and Chika immediately shook her head.

Chika stayed silent for a few moments, then finally spoke.

"…okay. I'll do it tonight, okay? And I'll tell you guys how it goes! Oh, but you don't need to be there, I'll do it myself!" she responded full of newfound energy, making sure to add on the last bit just in case they were being serious.

Riko and You glanced at each other, then back toward Chika.

"Of course!"

* * *

The rest of the practice session passed without too many troubles. Honoka was starting to settle in the group, and they would practice again the next day.

The group split up, the other members of Aqours a bit more accepting about the separation now compared to before, as they knew they'd see Honoka again the next day.

What Honoka wasn't aware of, however…

Was that the leader of Aqours was going to tell her a secret that night.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

I apologize if this chapter seems a bit...boring? compared to the rest. I realized while writing it that not much really happens, but I felt like it was important to establish Riko and You as Chika's sisters in love, and Honoka's new feelings about being with the group. This is probably comparable to a filler chapter in a manga, but I think those are fine as long as they don't drag on for too long.

Anyway, next chapter we'll see Chika and Honoka's talk. How do you think Honoka will react?

I'll try to have the next chapter out soon-ish compared to the usual week-long wait, so hopefully I'll be able to stick to that.

As always, thank you all for reading! I hope you'll be able to stay with me as the story develops.


	7. Unclear Feelings

"So, you're really fine, right?" Honoka turned her head to the side, watching Chika as they walked.

"Mhm, it doesn't hurt or anything. It feels totally normal," Chika assured her for a third time, starting to feel a bit embarrassed about how insistent Honoka was.

"Hmm…" Honoka murmured, still suspicious.

She paused for a moment, causing Chika to pause as well after a few more steps.

"Honoka-san? What's wrong?" she questioned with a slight tilt of her head, and Honoka walked toward her, then crouched down.

Poke. Poke.

"H-Huh?" Chika stammered in complete confusion as she looked down at Honoka, who was repeatedly poking her ankle lightly.

"Honoka-san…? What are you doing?"

The question didn't reach Honoka's ears as she concentrated on her task.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

The poking increased in frequency and strength as Chika watched worriedly with an awkward feeling washed over her.

Eventually…

Pinch.

"Ow!" Chika exclaimed as she quickly stepped away from Honoka in reaction, and Honoka looked up to meet Chika's eyes.

"See! It does hurt!" Honoka said confidently, only to be met with a sound argument in return.

"Only because you pinched me!" Chika refuted, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

…

After Honoka was finally convinced that Chika wasn't injured from her fall during practice, the two of them continued their walk toward Takami Inn.

A walk with just the two of them, completely alone.

Riko rode on the bus with them all the way until their stop, but then explained that she had something to do at one of the nearby shops in town.

Honoka bought the story, but Chika was the only one who saw a thumbs-up gesture from Riko as she separated from them.

Now, Chika was left alone with her erratic thoughts, and of course, the person responsible for those thoughts.

"Chika-chan."

"Y-Yes?!" Chika answered with a small jump, surprised at suddenly being called out to.

Honoka didn't pay any attention to Chika's bizarre behavior, however.

"Was that…good?" Honoka asked vaguely as her eyes met Chika's, and Chika looked at her strangely.

"What are you talking about?" she asked simply.

Honoka moved her eyes away from Chika's, instead watching the scenery in front of the two of them.

"Well…my coaching. Was it good? Did it help you at all?" Honoka continued, acting uncharacteristically meek.

Chika's thoughts temporarily strayed away from her mission, now focused on Honoka's odd behavior.

"…I thought it was good. We were able to work a lot harder because you were watching us. Why?" Chika asked curiously and watched as Honoka's gaze drifted down toward the ground.

"You need to save your school, right? And winning Love Live is the best chance of that, right? So if I-"

"Honoka-san."

Chika stopped Honoka's explanation in the middle, and Honoka's eyes finally met hers again as she looked back at her in surprise.

Chika wasn't sure why Honoka was acting so reserved about being with Aqours. The way she was reluctant to be their advisor was the start, and now, after their first day practicing together, she was doubting herself.

Chika didn't know if that was just another side of Honoka, or if someone or something was making her feel that way. But…

She smiled a bit.

It reminded her of when she felt responsible for their first performance in Tokyo. How she was the one who made the other girls join her, and how she wouldn't allow herself to feel sad for their sake.

But just like it was pointed out to her…

"We're the ones who asked you to join us. Me, You-chan, Riko-chan…and everyone. We all agreed we wanted you with us, so…" Chika started, then held out a hand toward Honoka.

"You don't need to feel responsible! Let's just do our best together, okay?" Chika suggested with a bright smile.

Honoka stared at her for a few moments, then quickly turned the other way and seemed to bring her arm near her face, wiping away something, then turned back toward Chika.

"Of course!" she enthusiastically replied, then stretched out her arms as she threw herself at Chika.

…

Chika recovered from Honoka's attack, and the two of them continued their walk, eventually reaching Takami Inn.

"Rice…or curry…no, maybe something with meat…"

Honoka mumbled to herself as they stood next to the entrance of the inn, not noticing the expression Chika was wearing.

She couldn't delay it anymore.

"Ah! But I don't have any groceries, so…"

If they went inside the inn, she'd just escape to her room and put it off.

"…there's a place nearby, right?" Honoka continued as she brought out her phone.

She needed an answer for the feelings bubbling up inside her, and it had to be today.

"Chika-chan, want to-" Honoka started her question, but cut herself off as she felt a slight tug on her shirt sleeve, near her wrist.

She turned her attention to the cause of it, only to see Chika staring back at her, her cheeks scarlet.

"Honoka-san…can we walk around some more? I don't want to end things just yet…" Chika begged in a quiet voice, then averted her gaze.

Honoka was lost for words as she stared at the girl in front of her.

The girl who looked away in nervousness, and was now fidgeting a bit as she awaited an answer.

The same one that had just cheered her up, and was normally so headstrong and energetic, was now looking extremely delicate.

Honoka wasn't sure how she never noticed it until now, and suddenly her face felt hotter.

"C-Cute…" Honoka murmured, and the word made Chika quickly turn and meet her eyes again.

"W-What did you say?!" Chika stammered in embarrassment, unsure if her ears were playing a trick on her, but the reaction from Honoka basically confirmed it.

This time, Honoka refused to look Chika in the eyes.

"N-Nothing! Okay, let's walk some more!" Honoka quickly decided as she turned around and started to shakily walk away.

Chika stood still for a few moments, replaying the word in her thoughts as she watched Honoka's back.

"Cute…" she whispered, then said it a few more times afterwards for good measure.

So, that means…

Chika brought her hands to her face to hide herself, although nobody was looking at her.

"Honoka-san…thinks I'm cute?!" she exclaimed to herself in shock.

But as she thought about it a bit more…

Chika showed a small smile.

"Honoka-san, wait for me!" she called out, chasing after her.

…

After Chika caught up to Honoka, and Honoka had recovered from her sudden realization, the pair found a nearby park.

Chika was sitting on a bench, a mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness washing over her.

She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching, then met Honoka's gaze.

"Here," Honoka said quietly as she held out the can toward Chika, and Chika slowly accepted it with a smile.

"Thank you."

There was a pause in the conversation for a short moment as they both took a sip from their drinks.

The conversation had continued normally after Chika had caught up to Honoka earlier, but then she told her something.

Chika had told Honoka that there was something she wanted to talk about, and Honoka's imagination went wild as those words combined with her earlier revelation.

Now, Chika was struggling to find the right moment to bring up what she actually wanted to talk about, and Honoka was busy taking quick peeks at Chika.

Honoka thought that it was odd.

While she was at Otonokizaka, she was able to easily compliment anyone from µ's whenever they looked cute, pretty, or whatever in their costumes. It was easy, and there was no reason to be embarrassed about it.

Even after she graduated, while in public with Umi and Kotori, or just watching a show on television, she could admit when somebody looked attractive.

So, why did that moment from earlier make her heart flutter so much?!

As Honoka was lost in her thoughts, Chika broke the silence.

"Honoka-san."

"Y-Yes?!" Honoka stammered out as she was snapped out of her thoughts, then turned to face Chika.

Chika had a faint blush and was struggling to maintain eye contact with Honoka, frequently looking away and then glancing back at her.

"Do you…have a boyfriend?"

Honoka broke out of her daze, now a bit confused.

"No, why?" she replied curiously, and Chika quickly leaned closer.

"Really?! You don't?!" Chika asked, a bit too excited at the answer, catching herself as she slowly leaned back.

Honoka was surprised at the sudden interest from Chika, but she quickly relaxed and smiled a bit, glad that the mood between them seemed to be returning to normal.

She leaned back against the bench, then took another sip from her drink.

"Well…me and everybody else in µ's have been confessed to a few times by fans…but I don't think any of them were serious! It was probably just for fun, I think," Honoka answered softly, then looked up toward the sky as she continued.

"So, I haven't dated anyone, but I'm fine with it! Oh, but Nozomi-chan likes to mess with me about it," she finished with a soft laugh, then brought her gaze back to Chika.

Chika listened intently, her eyes not leaving Honoka, but then it was her turn to speak.

"Why'd you ask?"

At Honoka's question, Chika looked away as she tried to explain.

"Ah, well…" she started, but then stopped.

Would things be the same, regardless of how Honoka answered?

Did she actually like Honoka, or was it just a passing feeling?

She wanted to run from it, just a little bit. She had never developed romantic feelings for anybody, and everything about it was confusing.

But like You and Riko explained to her…

She should at least talk about it with Honoka.

Chika smiled a bit as she looked at the scenery in front of her.

"I think…I might like you, Honoka-san," Chika admitted, a quiet sigh of relief escaping her lips afterwards.

She was worried for so long about simply saying a few words, but now that they were out there, she felt silly for being worked up in the first place.

Meanwhile, for Honoka…

A deep blush appeared on her face.

"Y-You like me?! As in…like like, or…?" Honoka asked awkwardly, not sure how to react to what she just heard.

But Chika corrected her.

"W-Well, I don't know!" Chika explained quickly, scratching her cheek in nervousness as she formed a blush as well.

She had finally calmed down, and now Honoka's panicking was making her panic as well.

"It's hard to explain," Chika was vague as she tried to think, and Honoka pouted a bit at the unclear explanation.

"W-What is it then?! Do you like me or not?" Honoka was flustered as well, even though she was supposed to be the mature one in this situation.

"Hold on, I need to think!"

After Chika said that, they both stared at the ground below them, unable to collect their thoughts.

Chika started to wonder if she should've brought You and Riko along after all.

Honoka thought about what it meant to like someone. Did she like Chika? She didn't know.

They hadn't been together that long, so wasn't it strange to already like someone? It was just like something out of a manga that Yukiho would lend her.

And, more seriously…

There was the age difference.

It'd been four years since she graduated from Otonokizaka. She was even attending a university now. But Chika was a second-year in high school. A five-year age difference wasn't that much when it came to married couples, but it was totally different if one was still in high school.

They both thought for a bit longer, then the silence was shattered again.

"Um-"

They both started in unison as they turned to face the other, then stopped when they realized the other was speaking.

"Sorry, you first," Honoka offered quietly, and Chika slowly nodded.

She then let out another soft sigh to ready herself.

"It's weird…every time I talk to you, it feels so fun. And when you get close to me, I always feel so nervous, like…"

Chika brought her hands together in a combined fist near her chest, then quickly separated them as she made an exaggerated sound resembling an explosion.

"…you know? It's hard to think, and it makes me feel dizzy. Oh, but it doesn't feel bad, I actually kind of like it!"

Honoka stared wide-eyed at Chika in amazement as she continued explaining.

"And I like the you that I know now. I always thought you were really cool and confident. Like you could do anything. But now…"

"Now…?" Honoka pressed her, and Chika smiled a bit.

"I know you're clumsy. And you sometimes forget about stuff because you get so excited. And you really like to hug others," Chika added emphasis on her last point, and Honoka laughed a bit in embarrassment.

"But also…you're really nice! You smile and help everyone, but then you worry if it's fine. There was the time that I got really nervous, and you thought it was a fever, so you searched all over for medicine. It made me…realize how kind you were," Chika admitted bashfully.

"S-So, does this mean…" Honoka spurred on, and Chika's blush returned as she looked away.

"I don't know if I like you…like that. I really don't know. I just know that I can't stop thinking about you, and how much I like the you that I know now."

Honoka was stunned into silence for a few moments, and Chika awkwardly fidgeted as she waited for a reply.

Eventually, Honoka responded.

"You're not the only one surprised, Chika-chan," she said vaguely with a smile, and Chika glanced at her with confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she tried to question, but Honoka quickly shook her head.

"Secret," Honoka said unfairly, and Chika pouted as she leaned closer and demanded an answer, which made Honoka giggle.

Chika looked at the happy face in front her, and slowly relaxed as she smiled.

She had just poured her heart out, but Honoka couldn't tell her what she meant? That was unfair.

But it was fine that way.

"Oh, but I have an idea!" Honoka said excitedly, and Chika looked at her curiously.

"An idea…for what?" she responded with a tilt of her head, and Honoka excitedly stood up from the bench.

"You don't know if you like me, right? I don't really know either…" Honoka admitted quietly, then continued her enthusiasm after noticing the slightly disappointed expression on Chika's face.

"So, what if we just act like a couple?" she suggested.

Chika's disappointment from the lack of a concrete answer quickly turned into confusion as she looked at Honoka blankly.

"Eh?"

Honoka crouched down, then lightly grabbed Chika's hands in hers as she looked her in the eyes.

"You know, like holding hands and stuff! We could even go on dates! That way, we can find out if really like each other or not!" Honoka continued energetically, and Chika could've sworn that Honoka was glowing brightly.

"Is…is that a thing? Acting like we're dating even though we're not?" Chika questioned, completely lost on the foreign subject.

Honoka thought about it for a short moment, then shrugged.

"I don't know! But it sounds fun!" she answered lightheartedly.

Chika was taken aback for a few moments as she stared at the carefree girl in front of her.

She didn't think that You, or even Riko would've expected this outcome. It sounded a little crazy. But…

Chika returned the smile.

"Let's do it!" she agreed easily enough, and the two girls beamed with energy.

Somehow, some way, Chika's confusion about her feelings turned into them pretending to be a couple.

Honoka explained it a bit more, saying that she wouldn't try anything that Chika would be uncomfortable with, and if either of them wanted to end it at any point, they could do so freely.

With the bizarre plan in action, their daily lives became a bit more interesting, as they would now try to figure out their own feelings.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone.

Let's see...where to start...

First, I'd like to apologize for not meeting my schedule. I said that I hoped to release this chapter a few days after the release of last chapter, but now look at us. A whole two weeks later.

There were two reasons for the delay. The first one was that I simply wasn't in the mood to write. I couldn't find myself willing to sit down and write this important chapter, and I didn't want to force the chapter in that state, as it would clearly show in the writing. So I didn't.

The second reason was that I changed my mind on how I wanted this chapter to go. Originally, Chika knew that she liked Honoka, and Honoka was going to turn her down. Then it turned into Honoka accepting the confession, and after a few more ideas, it turned into this.

It didn't feel right having them get together this early, as truthfully, they haven't known each other for long at all. I didn't think it was realistic, and it felt a bit forced. I wrote myself into a corner by making the confession chapter this early. So, I changed it. Now, I'm going to have them interact more and learn more about each other before we find out how their relationship will develop.

I'm sure some people won't really like the direction this has turned, and that's perfectly understandable. If whoever's reading this is among those people, then I'm sincerely sorry I couldn't meet your expectations, but I believe that this is a good path for the story I want to create.

As always, thank you for reading this chapter. I'm interesting in reading any reactions to this chapter and the choice I made, and if you liked it, then I hope you'll stick with me for a bit longer.


	8. First Milestone of the 'Pretend Couple'

"You're so cute…"

Honoka wrapped her arms around the other girl's neck and cuddled close to her. Her body felt warm and brought Honoka a sense of comfort.

"Ahh…I could stay here all day…" Honoka whispered happily, then suddenly leaned back and was forced to close an eye in response to the other girl licking her face.

"Jeez!" she complained lightheartedly, then giggled a bit.

"What are you doing?"

The familiar voice reached Honoka's ears, and she stood up and turned her head to look in the direction it came from. The sight made her widen her eyes in response.

Chika looked dazzlingly pretty as she stood at the entrance of the inn. Her outfit complemented her features well, and nothing was mismatched. Honoka couldn't pin down what exactly changed about it, but Chika's face looked just a tiny bit different, so she must've applied some makeup as well.

Honoka's eyes scanned Chika one more time, briefly stopping at the skirt she had chosen. As for that…it wasn't something that Umi would choose to wear.

Chika's face started to heat up as she monitored Honoka's reaction, and she averted her eyes in embarrassment.

Earlier, in her room, she had tried her best to calm herself, and it had actually worked after a few minutes. She was able to greet Honoka normally, but now, it was all thrown out the window.

She had wanted to impress her, so the previous night, she asked Mito what she should wear for that goal. Of course, Mito was suspicious and wanted to tease her, but ultimately decided against it and helped her little sister pick out an outfit. Now, Chika wished she would've gone with something plain instead.

"…W-What is it?" Chika finally spoke up in a quiet voice, a shade of red extremely prominent on her face.

With those words, Honoka snapped out of her trance, and felt a bit guilty about the embarrassed look on Chika's face.

"Sorry…" Honoka sheepishly apologized as a faint blush appeared on her face as well, but then smiled softly.

She really did look beautiful at that moment. Honoka didn't mean to embarrass her by staring, but she lost herself momentarily. It made her feel a bit of shame for wearing something so ordinary for the occasion.

In any case, Honoka wanted to avoid creating an awkward mood right off the bat. After all, this entire situation was her sudden idea, and so were today's plans. She felt it was her responsibility to make it enjoyable for the both of them.

"Are you ready to go?" Honoka asked with a smile, and Chika slowly brought her gaze back towards Honoka.

She did feel embarrassed, but she was also glad. She was starting to think that she was the only one in the very odd, yet blooming relationship who would get stunned at the sight of her partner, but that clearly wasn't the case. She made a mental note to remind herself to thank Mito when she got back home.

"Mhm!" Chika answered happily, returning the smile with a nod as she jogged toward Honoka.

Honoka watched, then remembered to say goodbye to her friend, so she looked down and reached her hand out to pat Shiitake's head.

"I'll bring back some treats for you, okay?" Honoka promised in a whisper, and Shiitake gave an affirmative bark as if she understood completely.

Honoka smiled, and the two of them began walking away from the inn.

"So where are we going?" Chika asked curiously as she glanced at Honoka, whose expression then turned blank.

Ah.

She forgot to actually plan it.

The idea was a bit impulsive, similar to the whole dating idea overall. After their conversation at the park, Honoka felt like she'd become embarrassed about the whole idea the next day if there wasn't anything planned, so she suddenly suggested a date, and Chika excitedly agreed. It was planned for the very next day, so they'd both be able to see how the whole 'acting as a couple' idea would work out immediately.

However, Honoka had forgotten a crucial aspect of dates. Preparation.

Honoka slowly turned her gaze toward Chika, then laughed embarrassedly.

"Sorry, I don't actually know…" she admitted easily, and Chika looked back at her with surprise.

But only for a moment.

"Oh, right! You don't know this town, Honoka-san!" Chika proclaimed as if it was obvious, and Honoka nodded.

"Mhm, so I-" Honoka started to apologize, but Chika cut her off as she suddenly grasped her hand softly.

"Don't worry! I'll show you around! That can be our date!" Chika suggested happily with a smile, and Honoka was taken aback for only a few moments before smiling back.

"Okay, let's do it!" Honoka energetically answered, and the two of them set off on their date.

* * *

Saying that was easy enough, but the reality…

Wasn't so easy.

Just like when she learned that the school was going to potentially close and went to advertise the town, Chika remembered that there wasn't much to do in Uchiura. Sure, she still loved it dearly and thought of it as an amazing place, but as for whether it was an ideal date location…maybe not.

Chika slowly turned her head toward her companion who had been walking alongside her.

"H-Honoka san?"

"What is it?" Honoka answered nonchalantly with a blissful smile.

"…are you sure you don't want to take the train to Tokyo instead?"

Honoka tilted her head slightly, wearing a blank expression now.

"Huh? Why?"

Chika rubbed the back of her head and let out a quiet awkward laugh.

"Well, there isn't much to do here, and I was thinking for a date, it should be, you know…more exciting?" Chika tried toexplain, becoming quieter as the sentence went on.

Honoka gently cupped her own chin after Chika finished, pondering what she just said for a moment.

"Hm…well, there's a lot to do in Tokyo, but…I still want to be here! I want to learn more about Chika-chan's town! I'm sure it'll be fun!" Honoka answered confidently, her eyes full of energy.

Chika felt a bit embarrassed hearing Honoka refer to it as 'Chika-chan's town,' but she relaxed after that simple explanation, feeling silly for having been worried about it.

So, she switched gears.

"All right! Then let's go to the café first!" Chika suggested, and rather than wait for an answer, she tightened her grip on Honoka's hand and started running up the slope.

Honoka almost tripped from the sudden pull, but quickly regained her balance and then ran with her as they laughed.

* * *

"Hello!"

The woman behind the counter glanced toward the door as the chimes rang and the voice called out, then smiled warmly when she recognized the visitor.

"Takami-san! Welcome!" she politely greeted her, then cast her gaze toward the taller woman of the pair.

"And who is this pretty lady with you?"

Honoka laughed softly in embarrassment, but before she could answer, Chika spoke up for her.

"This is Honoka Kousaka-san, she's from Tokyo and is staying here for a while," Chika explained, and the woman nodded her head as she stared at Honoka.

Then, she put two and two together.

"Oh, is this the same Kousaka-san you all always talked about?" she asked enthusiastically as the memories came back to her, and a faint blush appeared on Chika's face.

"Huh?! Well, I-" Chika went to answer, but the woman turned her head toward the kitchen area.

"Dear, it's Kousaka-san!" she called out, and shortly after the man peeked his head around the corner as Chika debated covering her own face with her hands due to embarrassment.

The two talked quietly for a bit, the woman likely reminding him who Honoka was, as Chika felt her face getting hotter by the second.

"Where is she?" the man asked, and a look of confusion appeared on both Chika and the woman's faces momentarily.

"Hm? She's right…" the woman trailed off, and although they were all bewildered for a few more moments, their eyes eventually scanned the room and their gaze fell on a corner of the room, where Honoka was crouched down and playing with the small dog, completely oblivious to the conversation happening around her.

The two owners smiled softly, then the woman looked at Chika.

"You two can eat for free today, okay?" she offered with a smile, and Chika was taken aback for a moment, instinctively wanting to decline the generous offer, but decided to relax and smiled back.

"Thanks!"

…

Honoka and Chika sat a table across from each other, a tall sundae placed in front of each of them.

As for the dog of the café, it was sleeping comfortably in Honoka's lap.

Honoka's eyes glistened as her eyes scanned the sundae, and Chika watched her with a small smile on her face.

"Do you like sweet stuff, Honoka-san?"

Honoka snapped out of her daze as she realized she was asked a question, then cast a quick glance at Chika before returning to the treat in front of her.

"I do! I'm really surprised, too! There's so much!" Honoka exclaimed, then reached toward the table and lightly gripped her spoon as growing anticipation appeared in her eyes.

Chika tilted her head a bit, just a little confused by the answer, but still highly amused just watching Honoka's expression.

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"The glass!" Honoka answered quickly, then scooped some of the sundae with her spoon.

"It's so big! This is way more than we get at the café near our school!" Honoka responded with enthusiasm, then finally took a bite of the sundae, an overjoyed sound escaping her closed lips shortly after.

Chika didn't quite understand the excitement, but she was happy that Honoka seemed to be enjoying herself.

As Chika went to take a bite from her own sundae, a spoon quickly appeared near her face, and she looked back up to see an excited Honoka smiling at her.

"It's really good, try it!" Honoka beckoned, and the heat from earlier returned to Chika's face in full force.

Oh no.

That was definitely it, right? There was no way it wasn't.

It was an indirect kiss.

Chika eyed the spoon nervously as her mind raced hundreds of miles a minute, then shifted her gaze to Honoka, who looked as innocent as ever.

There was no way around it, right? It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't a big deal.

Chika stared at the offering in front of her again, then subconsciously gulped in nervousness before slightly parting her lips.

The treat went in easily, and Chika started to eat in flustered silence after the spoon was taken out of her mouth.

"Tasty, right?!" Honoka asked for Chika's agreement excitedly, and after swallowing, Chika quietly replied.

"It's good," she managed to somehow reply despite drowning with embarrassment.

Honoka looked at her oddly for a moment due to the unusual reaction, then brushed it off and started to treat herself to the meal again.

Chika let out a quiet sigh to relax herself, then decided to follow the example.

As Honoka was blissfully eating her treat, Chika presented her own spoon to Honoka.

"Try mine too!" Chika suggested enthusiastically as Honoka's eyes lit up.

Shortly after the words left Chika's mouth, Honoka gratefully accepted the sundae, and let out another muffled sound of pure joy.

"It's so good!" Honoka responded with bliss, and the smile returned to Chika's face as she fully relaxed.

"Right?!" Chika answered, and the two of them began taking turns feeding each other.

…

After Chika became less anxious about the idea of concepts such as indirect kisses, and after ordering their real dinner, they finished their meal at the café. After thanking the owners, they decided to sightsee around the area a bit.

Chika took Honoka to most of the places she could think of, and although she was worried Honoka would be bored, it seemed to be just the opposite. Honoka was energetic no matter where they went and seemed delighted to learn the area more.

Eventually they decided to wrap up their date, and while walking home, Honoka decided to ask something peculiar.

"Chika-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Can you…call me Honoka-chan instead?"

Chika threw a curious glance at Honoka.

"Why?" she asked simply, and Honoka laughed, slightly embarrassed, as she gently scratched the back of her head.

"Well, it makes us seem closer, right? I call you Chika-chan, but you still use san for me," Honoka responded with a small smile.

Chika thought about it for a moment.

She definitely had a hard time going from Kousaka-san to Honoka-san, but now…it didn't really feel that strange to change it like she asked. Maybe that means they had gotten a lot closer?

She smiled to herself due to that thought, feeling a little silly thinking that, but was overall incredibly happy.

"Okay. Honoka-chan," she tested, and Honoka smiled brightly.

"Yay! Thank you, Chika-chan!" she answered with glee shortly before wrapping her arms around Chika and hugging her.

Chika gasped in surprise, but quickly started to laugh as Honoka snuggled up to her, then she returned the energy-filled hug.

…

The two of them decided to split up at the entrance and retire to their rooms, and both happily recalled the events of the day. Chika relived the date through her message to You and Riko, then drifted off to sleep.

Honoka smiled to herself as she replayed the events in her head, then closed her eyes so she could fall asleep.

However…

The ringtone of her phone caused her eyes to open again, and Honoka slowly and lazily grabbed it, then glanced at the screen to see who was calling.

"Umi-chan?" Honoka answered the phone, and that began the conversation that would cause Umi to worry.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Well, where to start...

First off, a huge apology is in order. This series has received an incredible delay, but it wasn't just this series, it was my whole author profile. I've been incredibly busy these past few months juggling a lot of things, and I couldn't get in the proper time or motivation to work on any stories with all that stress going on. It's not really a viable excuse at the end of the day, I just wanted to give you all a reason for my absense. I'm very sorry.

As of now, one major project that was going on during that period has concluded, but I am still busy. Not nearly as much as before, but I still have a lot of stuff going on at the moment.

I'll try to work at my own pace, and I do plan to attempt to work on stories if the opportunity presents itself amidst this schedule. I have about a month more until I have a lot more free time, but I'll still try to work on this series between now and then and hopefully be able to push out at least one chapter, hopefully more. Before that though, I plan to watch through SIP and Sunshine again before producing any more stories, as I feel like I need to familiarize myself with their characters once more to portray them as accurately as I can.

On a final note, I understand that this series has had an incredibly long delay, and for that reason, a lot of people who were once interested in it may not be anymore. If that is the case, I'm deeply sorry, but I hope you can understand my reasons a bit.

Thank you all for reading this story.


	9. Unexpected Difficulties

A finger gently traced along the top of the phone's screen, hovering over the word "Honoka."

A quiet sigh escaped Umi's lips as she stared down at the name. Her chest felt constrained, burdened by the mix of emotions fighting each other within. She couldn't help but worry that she was overstepping her boundaries.

She'd been friends with Honoka ever since they were children. She knew everything there was to know about her. That's also exactly why she was so worried.

Another sigh filled the room, and shortly after, Umi felt a pair of thin arms embrace her from behind.

"It's okay, Umi-chan," the voice said warmly, and Umi relaxed as all the stiffness left her body, and she leaned back into the embrace.

"I hope she isn't angry…" Umi worried as she thought back to her conversation with Honoka.

She was surprised, just like anyone else would be. A 'pretend relationship' with someone one had practically just met? The idea seemed a bit ridiculous, but…perhaps she'd overreacted. She was so flustered that she'd hardly given Honoka a chance to explain herself before requesting something absurd. And now they were-

"She isn't," the other voice cut off Umi's thoughts with a confident answer, which in turn caused Umi to look back at her questioningly.

"How can you be so sure?" she quickly asked, to which the other person smiled brightly.

"Because I know Umi-chan and Honoka-chan!"

The answer wasn't exactly clear, but it was simple enough for Umi to smile a bit.

How could she argue against that level of confidence? Especially when it came from that specific person.

Umi didn't say any more, instead opting for a simple kiss, and Kotori happily obliged.

* * *

"And then what happened?" You spurred on with a smile, wanting every last detail of the successful operation.

Chika however wasn't so cooperative.

She grasped the top of her own head in an exasperated manner as the faint blush on her cheeks grew in intensity.

"No more! Jeez!" Chika defended herself in uncharacteristic embarrassment, but just like the previous times, it didn't dissuade her friends.

"Then something good must've happened, right?!" You guessed with a grin, and Riko leaned forward as her eyes seemed to beam with enthusiasm.

"You can't stop there, Chika-chan!" Riko protested, practically on the edge of her seat listening to the developments.

Riko was overly excited, but quickly managed to catch herself as she sat up straight and quietly cleared her throat. She had to act normal or the others could possibly learn about her habit, which she had falsely labeled as "gifts" when she was previously asked.

Before more details could be forced out of Chika, a soft series of knocks resounded through the room, and the three pairs of eyes all stared at the sliding door with curiosity.

Chika quickly stood up and walked to the entrance, mostly sure she knew who it was. After all, her family didn't even bother knocking.

Sliding the door open revealed a smiling Honoka, just like Chika had expected. But for some reason…that smile seemed unnatural, and Chika was so distracted by it that she forgot to greet her.

"Ah, it's Honoka-san!"

At the sound of Riko's voice and the two pairs of footsteps approaching from behind her, Chika snapped out of her daze and smiled at Honoka.

"Honoka-chan!" Chika welcomed her late, and Honoka's gaze went from one person to the next, confused.

"Huh? Why's everyone here? What's going on?" Honoka asked happily.

"We were talking about your date with Chika-chan," You casually replied, then flashed a playful grin when Chika immediately turned to her with an embarrassed look.

"You-chan!"

You laughed quietly then quickly apologized, and Honoka gently rubbed the back of her own head as she let out a soft laugh as well.

"Chika-chan already told you, huh?" Honoka responded with a small smile, but it quickly faded as she averted her eyes.

Riko noticed the change in expression and was confused by it, but she decided to change the subject.

"Sorry, did you need something, Honoka-san?" she asked carefully, and Chika's attention went back to Honoka as Riko reminded her.

"That's right! What are you doing here so early?" she asked with joy in her voice, yesterday's events clearly still having an effect on her.

However, yesterday's events, and now Chika's excited voice, was tugging at Honoka's heartstrings instead of making her happy.

It'd be fine. There wasn't anything wrong with what she was doing, and she'd clearly explain it to Umi. Then Umi would apologize and they'd hug, and it'd all be over with. Simple and easy, just like how it's always been.

…right?

"…Honoka-chan?" Chika slightly tilted her head as she called out toward Honoka, and Honoka's eyes widened when she realized she'd been zoning out.

"Ah, sorry!" she immediately apologized, and Chika, Riko and You eyed her curiously.

"…are you okay?" Chika whispered as her gaze softened, and Honoka looked down to the ground.

"Actually, I need to tell you all something…"

* * *

"Going…back?" Chika murmured.

"Just for a few days!" Honoka waved her hands in front of herself, indicating that it wasn't a big deal.

"Is it serious?" Riko asked, concerned, and Honoka quickly shook her head.

The four of them were sat around the table in Chika's room, and the questions kept pouring in for Honoka, but Chika remained silent.

This was…

…very suspicious.

Chika wasn't sure how long people had to be friends to really 'know each other,' but she did know that something seemed off with what Honoka was saying and her behavior.

Would she really act that way if it was just 'helping out at the bakery' for a few days? Well, maybe if one of her parents were injured…hmm…

Was Honoka really the type of person to lie?

Chika shook her head at that thought. It was possible, but she couldn't imagine that Honoka would do that unless it was for a good reason.

But maybe there was a good reason…

As Chika continued to think about it, the conversation was quickly coming to a close, and the time for Honoka to leave was approaching.

"Chika-chan?"

You's voice snapped Chika out of her inner dialogue, and Chika's eyes glanced to You.

"Are you okay?" You asked in a whisper.

"You've been quiet…" Riko added, and the two of them looked at her with concern. Being so enthusiastic about the date, then suddenly hearing this, they weren't sure how Chika was handling it. This was all new to her, of course.

Chika looked at You, then at Riko, then finally rested her eyes on Honoka, who was staring back at her with an awkward expression.

That was it.

Without a word, Chika immediately stood up, and as her friends watched her with surprise, she gently grabbed onto Honoka's arm and pulled her with her as she walked.

"Wah! W-Wait a second, what?!" Honoka exclaimed in bewilderment, then had to quickly stand up and follow Chika to avoid tripping.

Past the sliding door of Chika's room, and through Mito's connecting room, which was thankfully empty, the two ended up in the hallway with Chika's eyes peering into Honoka's seriously.

Honoka gulped quietly due to nervousness as her gaze darted repeatedly from Chika's eyes to her mouth, her 'pretend girlfriend's' lips only a few inches away from her own.

It was impossible for her to comprehend all the thoughts bouncing around in her head at that moment.

Was this what she thought it was? Were they really going to do this? Out of the blue? Just like that?!

A…kiss?!

She could feel her heart pounding against her chest as her face heated up.

The hall was silent for a few long moments, the sound of their breathing being the only thing they could hear.

Chika closed her eyes as she prepared herself for the conversation, and eventually, she opened them again.

Only to see something embarrassing in front of her.

Honoka had her eyes shut tight and was leaning forward a bit, as if she were expecting a kiss.

A faint blush appeared on Chika's face, but the thought of kissing Honoka was outweighed by the absurdity of the situation that she couldn't help but laugh.

Honoka looked to Chika with a mix of embarrassment and confusion for a moment as she tilted her head.

"Chika-chan?! Weren't we going to…" Honoka cut herself off, and Chika stopped laughing for a moment as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I just needed to talk to you, Honoka-chan, but then your face…" Chika began to explain, then had to stifle a laugh.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, then they both laughed at the silliness of it all.

…

…

"Huh?! But it's not like that!" Chika immediately denied what Honoka said as worry began to flow throughout her body.

The reason Honoka needed to leave for a bit…the cause of Honoka's mood earlier…

She couldn't have expected it was something like that.

She replayed the conversation in her head again.

Honoka had essentially told her about a talk she had with Umi last night. During their talk, Umi had learned about the 'pretend relationship.'

Umi quickly raised complaints, and the main ones were…

_The age gap between Chika and Honoka. _

_The fact that they lived in different cities. _

_The fact that Chika was still in high school. _

And the worst one…

_It might not really be love. _

Umi seemed to think that Chika was possibly in love with the _idea_ of Honoka, rather than Honoka herself. She also thought that that ideal applied to Honoka as well.

She could see why it made Honoka depressed, but…

For the age difference, and her still being in school…it didn't matter. She knew all of that before starting this relationship. It wasn't going to stop her.

As for the love part…

It wasn't true. She knew herself better than anyone, so she knew that they didn't have anything to worry about. So…

"T-That part about love…why does Umi-san think that?"

Honoka showed a small smile.

"I don't think she really does."

"Huh?" Chika replied blankly. That answer didn't make any sense. If that were the case, then why…?

Honoka looked up at the ceiling as she let out a quiet, content sigh.

When she'd first walked toward Chika's room, she was worried. There were too many thoughts floating around in her head, and it made her start to question everything. But now she knew.

"Umi-chan's just worried. Some people say she's really strict, or scary…one little kid even called her mean before!" Honoka explained with a giggle, and Chika started to relax.

"She just cares a lot," Honoka finished with a faint blush.

As for Chika, she didn't personally know Umi, so she wasn't quite convinced.

"Are you sure? You seemed really sad earlier…" she asked quietly.

But Honoka just turned to her and flashed a wide, bright grin.

"I'm sure! Because I know Umi-chan!" Honoka guaranteed, and Chika couldn't help but trust her at that point.

Shortly after though, Chika's eyes widened.

"Then…!"

Honoka turned to Chika, who was now smiling just as bright as she was a moment ago.

As Chika began to explain her plan to Honoka, Honoka quickly became just as excited as Chika was.

…

* * *

Umi was sitting on the couch, laptop on her lap, typing away as the other person in the apartment cooked dinner.

Just then, breaking the calm silence, the doorbell to their apartment rang.

"Ah, that's-!" Kotori called out as she looked toward the entrance, and Umi slowly let out a deep breath to calm herself.

"Honoka," Umi finished for Kotori, then brought her gaze to the entrance as prepared herself for the meeting.

She had been unfair to Honoka, she knew that. But still…

Wouldn't anyone be that worried if their lifelong friend just left one day and suddenly started dating someone?

It didn't help that she knew nothing about Chika other than her involvement with Aqours.

However…insisting that Honoka come back to Tokyo out of the blue…

She needed to apologize. She had been too irrational.

Umi walked to the door with Kotori, then took another breath before quickly pulling the door open.

But her eyes widened when she saw something unexpected.

"Umi-chan! Kotori-chan!" Honoka warmly greeted them with a smile, but Umi's eyes were concentrated on the person next to Honoka.

Chika Takami was with her.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone. It's been a long time.

Before I get into apologizing for taking so long, I'd like to talk about this chapter because I want to clarify some things.

First, I apologize for the small drama-ish segment. I mainly just stick to happy fluffy stuff and will only do drama if I think it's essential for the story or is already in the premise for the story, and I always try to settle it as cleanly as possible without dragging things on. I hope that this amount of it isn't too bad. Also, onto the romance stuff...

Romance is still the main aspect of this fanfic, I'm not shying away from it. It's just that their age difference and Chika still being in high school is a big part of it, and I want to address that in it. And Japan AoC and prefectural laws overriding each other in terms of what it actually is is just a whole mess that I don't even want to get into because in the end this is just a fanfic. But as a general rule, they're not that far apart in age, but it's still important to respect the gap.

So yeah, I personally think their age difference is a pretty interesting part of their relationship, as friends and lovers. Despite being different ages and growing up in different parts of Japan with different things, they can still connect through their interests and personalities and I think that's great. I apologize if some people are upset with this development, but I personally believe that it's important.

Anyway, sorry for the huge delay! To be honest, I've been in a slump, and lately I've been promising things like 'hopefully next chapter will be out in a month or so' and I haven't been fulfilling my end. I'm very sorry for that. I even ended up rewriting this chapter a few times and questioning where I wanted to go with it, and we eventually ended up here. But I just want to say that I'll never drop this story, so nobody has to worry about that. I'm still passionate about this story and writing in general, just things have been a bit rough lately in regards to that, but I'm hoping it'll get better with time.

Finally, thank you everyone for reading!


	10. Her Approval

"Takami-san, do you ever cook at home?" Kotori asked happily as she looked at Chika, who was finishing tying her apron.

"Ah, you can call me Chika! And uhm…not really, usually my mom or Shima-nee does it," Chika explained with a hint of embarrassment.

But Kotori just smiled.

"Okay, then I'll show you, Chika-san!" Kotori promised, and Chika returned the smile as she raised a fist in the air as if she were celebrating.

"Okay!"

…

"It smells good…" Honoka murmured as she stared at the ceiling while she lied on the bed, lazily kicking her feet that were off the edge.

"It does…" Umi replied quietly as she sat cross-legged on the bed next to Honoka.

The room was silent for a few moments, neither of them sure how to approach the topic.

As for why Kotori and Chika were cooking and Umi and Honoka were in the bedroom, it was Kotori's idea. It started after Umi saw Chika alongside Honoka.

"_Why did you bring Takami-san with you?" Umi asked confused and feeling a bit betrayed after Honoka said she was coming alone._

"_Well…it's about me and her right?" Honoka answered as she scratched her cheek, and Umi took a small step back._

"_W-Well, that's true, but still…" Umi trailed off, and the entrance to the apartment went quiet for a few moments._

_Then, Kotori walked past Umi and stopped in front of Chika._

"_Takami-san, do you want to help me cook?" she asked innocently, and Chika's eyes widened._

"_H-Huh?! Me? Help you? B-But I've never-" Chika stammered, but Kotori smiled as she lightly grabbed Chika's forearm._

"_It'll be fine! Honoka-chan and Umi-chan have a lot to talk about, so…" Kotori hinted as she began lightly pulling Chika with her, and Chika's eyes wildly darted from person to person as she wondered if it was really okay, but Honoka showed a small smile and waved at her to indicate it was fine._

Now, Umi and Honoka were supposed to be having an important conversation, but they were having issues bringing it up now that they were alone.

They casted glances at one another while the other wasn't looking, and their words were on the tips of their tongues, however nothing came out.

But eventually…

"Honoka."

Honoka jumped a bit in surprise as her gaze drifted to Umi, who was giving her a serious look in response. The kicking of her feet stopped.

"What is it, Umi-chan?" Honoka asked normally with a small smile, but the expression on Umi's face remained.

"We need to talk…about Takami-san," Umi murmured.

Honoka stayed where she was for a few moments as she readied herself.

She knew what Umi said over the phone. She could clearly understand the words that came from Umi's lips.

But they didn't seem honest. Like she told Chika earlier, she thought Umi was just worried about it all. Scared, even.

It was time to address those feelings.

Honoka adjusted herself so that she was facing Umi, then sat cross-legged just like her.

"Okay," Honoka finally answered, a hint of optimism and energy in her voice as she looked back into Umi's eyes.

And Umi stared right back at her.

"Why?" she whispered, and Honoka's expression turned to a blank one as she slightly tilted her head in confusion.

"H-Huh? Why what…?" Honoka asked slowly, completely caught off guard by the question.

During their phone call, Umi was much more direct with her complaints, so when they finally met in person and started the conversation, she was expecting something less…vague.

Umi brought her eyes to the sheets below her as she hung her head, leaving Honoka confused and with her own thoughts.

"U-Umi-chan…?" Honoka whispered carefully as she slightly held out her hand toward Umi, but hesitated, worried that Umi was about to yell.

However, Umi let out a long sigh as she collected herself, then looked up to meet Honoka's eyes.

"Why her? And why now? What happened?" Umi asked vaguely again, and Honoka paused for a moment as she considered how to answer.

"W-Why…?" Honoka repeated the word as she tried to understand Umi's question, thinking on it for a bit as the room went silent.

But she wasn't able to understand it.

"Is…something wrong with it?" Honoka asked nervously in a whisper, and Umi quickly became flustered as she shook her head to say no. She didn't mean it like that.

Umi sighed once more. Prior to Honoka coming, she had talked to Kotori about the whole situation, and what she had said to Honoka over the phone. The two discussed it for a while, then eventually came up with the questions that really mattered.

But for some reason, Umi was having a difficult time asking them.

"I didn't mean that, it's just…" Umi murmured as she blushed, still having problems discussing love despite having been in a relationship for a long time now.

Honoka waited patiently, and after a few more moments of Umi collecting herself, the silence was broken once more.

"…before you left, it seemed like you would never fall in love with anyone. You were oblivious to everything, Honoka," Umi began to explain, then the distant sound of a pan dropping interrupted her. As she started to get up though, voices came from the kitchen, yelling that everything was okay. Honoka giggled quietly as Umi sat back down with a mixed expression of disbelief and happiness.

Umi cleared her throat as she aimed to continue the conversation, hopefully without any more cooking mishaps interrupting them.

"As I was saying…"

Honoka showed a small smile as Umi said that, somehow feeling reminded of their time as µ's from that small incident. Umi saw Honoka's expression and smiled herself before continuing.

"So, when you left and suddenly started dating Takami-san, I was worried…and confused," Umi spoke quietly and averted her eyes for a moment, and Honoka felt a bit guilty for some reason as she lightly scratched the back of her head in nervousness.

"Sorry…" Honoka apologized, but Umi quickly shook her head in dismissal.

"No, you don't have anything to be sorry for, it's just…" Umi paused again as her blush returned, but she immediately clenched her fists a bit, realizing she needed to hurry up with the conversation.

"You never cared about love or things like that, so what changed? You haven't even known her for that long, so…why Takami-san?" Umi finally finished her question as she looked into Honoka's eyes again.

Honoka sat there for a while as she mulled over the question, Umi patiently waiting as Honoka tried to reach an answer that would satisfy.

What made her start dating Chika? Umi was right in that they still didn't know each other very well. But for some reason, whenever she sees her…it just makes her happy. But the same could be said about Umi, Kotori or anyone else from µ's.

"Hmm…." Honoka murmured aloud as she continued to think, and Umi began to look concerned as Honoka was taking an abnormal amount of time to answer.

But then, the answer finally came.

"I don't know!" Honoka proudly announced.

Umi was completely flabbergasted for a moment, a look of bewilderment on her face as she stared back at Honoka.

"You…you don't know…?" Umi asked in confusion, and Honoka just nodded her head.

"Mhm! I mean, I love Umi-chan and Kotori-chan, and I also love Chika-chan!"

"Then couldn't it just be-" Umi tried to interject, but Honoka cut her off.

"But it's different with Chika-chan, somehow. How do I say it…" Honoka trailed off as she cupped her chin in thought, and Umi stayed quiet as she watched Honoka.

Some might consider it silly for them to be having this discussion, especially at their age, but it was important. And for Honoka, who had never shown any interest in romance before this point, Umi had to make sure it was real.

For the both of them.

To Umi's surprise, Honoka had suddenly placed her hands on top of hers.

"See? I can do this, but if it's with Chika, I…" Honoka decided not to continue as a blush appeared on her cheeks, and Umi stared back for a moment before quietly laughing.

"And your chest feels tight when you look at her, right?" Umi asked, and Honoka energetically nodded her head.

"That's right! And I get really happy when I'm around her!" Honoka answered with a big smile, and Umi smiled back.

"And you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" Umi asked simply, and Honoka was stunned for a moment.

"T-The rest of my life?! Well…I haven't thought about that yet…" Honoka trailed off as she began to carefully consider it, then Umi laughed.

"Sorry, I was just joking," Umi clarified, and Honoka breathed a sigh of relief.

And after a few seconds of silence…

"I see. Well…everything's fine, then. As for the difference in your ages…it shouldn't be an issue," Umi said simply, fully trusting in Honoka.

Honoka's expression turned to a blank one for a moment before she looked at Umi, confused.

"Huh? That's it? But over the phone you were-" Honoka started, but stopped as she saw Umi shaking her head.

"About that…I'm sorry, Honoka," Umi quietly said as she bowed, and Honoka was stunned in silence for a moment as she stared at Umi's back.

"Huh? Sorry for what?"

In response to Honoka's question, Umi sat back up with a small blush on her cheeks as she averted her gaze.

"…when you told me that you were dating Takami-san, I was confused. And worried. I didn't understand, and I…ended up saying a lot of bad things. It wasn't my business to-" Umi began apologizing with a sad voice, but was cut off as Honoka's arms suddenly wrapped around her and tackled her on the bed.

"H-Honoka?!" Umi stammered with a deep blush, but Honoka just laughed.

"It's fine, really! I love you, Umi-chan!"

After a few moments, Umi let herself relax and she returned Honoka's hug.

"Mhm. I love you too, Honoka," she answered warmly.

…

…

After the two collected themselves, they left the bedroom, excited to reunite with Kotori and Chika.

…only for them to see a disaster.

Pots, pans and trays were strewn about, as well as various cooking ingredients and utensils. Patches of flour and other ingredients were spread out throughout the countertop, and it was impossible to tell which dish was supposed to be dinner.

As Honoka looked around in amazement, Umi looked at an embarrassed Kotori and Chika with a confused look.

"…what happened?" Umi asked quietly.

"We got carried away," Chika answered embarrassedly as Kotori giggled softly.

* * *

After cleaning up the kitchen, the four of them ate dinner and talked for a short while. Chika was able to talk about her favorite µ's songs with them as Umi became embarrassed, and they also talked about Aqours as well as their lives in general.

They also discussed Honoka and Chika's relationship a bit, and Umi attempted to ease into it by discussing herself and Kotori's relationship, only to become a blushing mess after Kotori informed her that she had already told Chika everything.

Unfortunately, they couldn't talk long as Honoka and Chika needed to leave early so Chika wouldn't be late for school. They did make a promise to meet again soon though.

After finishing dinner, cleaning up and exchanging goodnights, Honoka and Chika were lying on their sides in their own futons, looking at one another.

"…so, everything's fine with Umi-san?" Chika whispered quietly.

Everything seemed normal and friendly after Honoka and Umi finished their conversation, but Chika wanted to make sure.

And Honoka nodded.

"Mhm. She's happy," Honoka answered with a smile, and Chika smiled right back.

Without another word, Chika got out of her futon, and Honoka looked at her curiously.

"Chika-chan?"

Chika didn't respond to Honoka's call, but instead walked toward her and gently lied down next to her, climbing into the same futon.

Honoka blushed lightly as Chika cuddled up to her, then began to stammer in nervousness.

"C-Chika-chan?! W-What's wrong?" she stuttered as she looked down at Chika, who was now bringing her arms around Honoka.

After a brief moment of silence, and a deep blush forming on Chika's face which Honoka thankfully couldn't see, Chika whispered.

"I think I love you, Honoka-chan."

The quiet words were enough to stun Honoka into silence.

This was the first time since they began their 'pretend dating' that one of them had said something like that. The whole reason they were doing such a thing was because neither of them were completely sure about their feelings.

So to hear that from Chika…

It made her really happy.

"I think I love you too, Chika-chan," Honoka answered gently, then returned the hug as the two of them began to drift off to sleep.


	11. An Exchange

"What…is this?"

A feeling of befuddlement washed over Umi as she gazed down at the scene below her.

In one futon, with one person leaning on the other with an arm stretched across the other's stomach, was Honoka and Chika.

For one, she had expected Honoka and Chika to already be gone. They had already said their goodbyes the night before, after all. So, it seemed as if Chika would end up being late for school.

And another thing…

To think…to do such a shameless thing in a home that wasn't theirs…when they even laid out two futons…

Umi sighed quietly, then turned to Kotori, who was aiming her phone's camera at the pair.

"You're okay with this?" Umi asked quietly, though she already knew the answer.

Kotori smiled happily.

"Mhm! They're in love, right?" Kotori asked as if it was obvious, and Umi crossed her arms as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"W-Well, that's true, but there's such a thing as moderation…" Umi trailed off as she averted her eyes from the pair.

A few moments later, arms were wrapped around Umi's stomach and Kotori's head was gently rested on her shoulder.

"You're feeling lonely, right Umi-chan?"

Umi's expression turned to surprise as she quickly looked toward Kotori.

"What?! I never-" Umi started, but was cut off as Kotori lightly kissed her cheek.

After a quiet laugh and removing herself from Umi, Kotori walked in front of her and smiled.

"Let's make breakfast for them," she suggested cheerfully, then without waiting on an answer, headed toward the kitchen.

Umi placed her fingertips on the spot Kotori kissed her, then after a few more seconds, took another glance at Honoka and Chika as she smiled as well.

"Okay," Umi announced with a nod, then followed after Kotori, now with a spring in her step.

* * *

Honoka's eyes slowly opened, and the smell of food being cooked woke her up further as she slowly sat up.

Still half-asleep, she gently rubbed her eyes then looked to her left, only for her eyes to widen in surprise when she saw Chika's sleeping face.

She was only confused for a moment before the events of yesterday came back to her. She smiled warmly, then her eyes started to glow as she suddenly got an idea.

She pulled out her phone, aiming to take a picture of Chika, but was surprised when she noticed an unread message notification from Kotori.

When she saw what it was, she had to stifle a laugh.

Kotori was already way ahead of her.

After setting it as her new wallpaper, it only just then occurred to Honoka to look around the room, and she finally noticed Kotori and Umi.

"Ah! Umi-"

"Shhhh," Kotori and Umi sounded in unison, both with fingers to their lips, and Honoka immediately brought her hands to her mouth as she realized it.

But the damage was done.

Chika slowly sat up, then turned her head toward Honoka.

"Honoka-chan, good-wait, Honoka-chan?!" Chika began, then quickly shouted in surprise as she leaned away from her in a panic, almost falling over in the process.

"What are we-why are we-what is-!"

"Good morning, Chika-chan," Kotori called out casually with a smile, and Chika was silent for a moment as she blushed.

"G-Good morning…" she replied sheepishly, slightly bowing her head as she began to calm down and remember what happened last night.

Honoka gleefully latched onto her, a wide smile on her face.

"Good morning, Chika-chan!"

She was stunned for a brief second, but then gladly smiled back.

"Mhm, good morning," she murmured happily.

Kotori and Umi were watching the exchange, then Kotori turned back toward the kitchen and widened her eyes.

"Oh, Umi-chan!"

Startled, Umi turned around as well, only to see the food starting to burn.

"Ah! Kotori, get that one, quick!" she panicked, and Honoka and Chika laughed with a hint of concern.

* * *

After eating breakfast, apologizing for oversleeping, and fielding some embarrassing questions that nobody else would ever know the answers to, Honoka and Chika stood at the entranceway of the apartment, ready to leave.

They had already talked about everything they needed to. Umi and Kotori were at ease, and Honoka felt as if a giant boulder was lifted from her shoulders. She couldn't remember the last time she had made Umi react so seriously, but she vowed that she would never let it happen again. Probably.

They said their goodbyes, then parted. Honoka and Chika walked hand-in-hand toward Honoka's car, but before getting in, Chika suddenly stopped in place.

"Honoka-chan!" she suddenly yelled energetically, resulting in a small jump of surprise from Honoka.

"H-Huh?! What is it?" Honoka asked, but then wore a troubled expression when she heard Chika's idea.

"Ehh? But we're already late," she answered worriedly, keeping Umi's advice in mind.

_'Try to be responsible. You're their advisor, so you need to make sure they're not getting in trouble,'_ is what Umi said to her. And now she was already being put to the test.

But Chika made a convincing argument.

"Please? It won't take that long! And I bet there are some really cute ones!" Chika pleaded, and after mulling it over for a few seconds, Honoka quickly nodded.

"Okay, let's go!" she announced excitedly, and a big smile appeared on Chika's face.

It didn't take much to convince Honoka to do something fun.

* * *

"Ah, jeez…" Honoka murmured to herself as her eyes repeatedly scanned the rows, desperate to find one that seemed like it would fit.

Sure, she was interested in this type of stuff, but she wasn't particularly good at picking the ones that suited her best. She'd always leave those details to Kotori, Nico or Eli. They were the most knowledgeable about these items.

Every time she glanced at one, she'd take a moment to envision how it would look, then always shook her head, thinking it didn't quite fit. This wasn't herself that she was shopping for, so she wanted it to be perfect. Especially since it was for Chika.

With that said…

"Ugh, which one do I pick?!" she complained loudly as she held her head, earning her multiple odd looks from other customers.

* * *

As for Chika...she seemed to be having a different issue entirely.

She had lined ten of them up next to each other on a counter, carefully considering each one, but she was quickly becoming frustrated.

"This one works…but this one's really pretty…and this…hmm…"

Chika gently scratched the back of her head as she continued to examine them, a faint blush forming on her cheeks as she imagined Honoka with each of them.

She had to shake her thoughts away when the Honoka in her imagination started talking to her. She couldn't get lost in her thoughts, she had to focus and choose one quickly.

But really…

"How am I supposed to pick just one?" she complained aloud, then buried her head in her arms on the counter.

* * *

It was time for them to meet again, and as they approached one another, Honoka waved at Chika while holding something in her hand.

"Chika-chaaaaaann!" she called out happily.

As for Chika, she was calmly walking toward Honoka as she held her hands behind her back.

When they reached each other, Honoka breathed a sigh as she showed off the small hair accessory, a sky-blue flower-decorated hairpin.

"There were so many, I didn't know what to pick, and- ah!" she cut herself off, her eyes widening as she realized what she was doing. She immediately brought her hands behind her back as her face became flushed with embarrassment, but it was too late.

"You…you saw it, right…?" Honoka asked nervously, her eyes focused on the ground.

Chika was only able to stop herself for a few seconds, then her laughter filled the air. Honoka brought her gaze back to Chika, stubbornly watching silently for a moment, then smiled as she laughed herself at how ridiculous that was.

Chika brought a hand from behind her back and slowly wiped her forming tears as her laughter finally died down.

"Sorry, sorry. It was just…" she tried to explain, then began laughing again as she recalled the panicked expression on Honoka's face.

…

…

After finally calming down, Honoka presented the hairclip again, and Chika showed the one she decided on, a light-gold star-shaped hairclip.

They happily exchanged them, and after putting them on, gazed at one another.

"Well? How does it look?" Honoka asked cheerfully and a bit playful, performing a quick twirl before smiling at Chika.

"You look great, Honoka-chan!" Chika immediately replied, full of excitement as her eyes practically dazzled.

She didn't want to praise herself or anything, but she couldn't believe how cute Honoka looked in that moment. Well, maybe it had something to do with Honoka naturally looking cute…well, it didn't matter! The hairclip fit her!

As Chika beamed with energy, Honoka nervously scratched her cheek, a blush present on her face.

She hadn't expected Chika to be so upfront and honest about it. It had caught her off-guard.

But those words made her extremely happy.

Honoka smiled, then quickly pulled out her phone, the smile turning to a smirk as she took a picture of Chika.

Chika stared at her blankly for a moment, then finally processed what happened as she slightly tilted her head and looked quizzically at Honoka.

"Huh? What was that for?" she asked curiously, and as a response, Honoka turned the phone around and showed the screen.

"Look how cute you look!" she announced excitedly, and Chika's eyes widened as she stared at the picture.

She wasn't sure if it was the hair accessory itself, or possibly the fact that Honoka was the one who chose it, but…

She loved how it looked on her.

Chika slowly reached up and clutched the hairclip for a second, then smiled warmly.

"Honoka-chan, let's take a picture together!" she suddenly suggested, and Honoka immediately nodded in agreement.

The two squeezed together as Honoka held the phone above them, then both performed a silly pose as the picture was taken.

* * *

After some very not-so-tough consideration, the pair decided to play around a bit more before heading back to Numazu, deciding that they'd just show up for practice. However, to Chika's surprise, she had received some odd texts from You:

_'You: Hey, Chika-chan! We're cancelling practice, so don't worry about that!'_

_'You: Oh, but when you're back, come to my place! We gotta' talk about something.'_

_'You: And bring Honoka-san too!'_

Confused, she tried to message back to ask why, but she didn't receive a response. So, just as they were told, when they arrived back in Numazu the first thing they did was head over to You's house.

And when they opened the door…

"Congratulations!" was cheered in unison, and Honoka and Chika stood in the entrance starstruck as bits of confetti rained down on them.

"H-Huh? What's going on?" Chika asked half confused and half excited, eyes darting from person to person.

Kanan walked around to get behind them, then inserted herself in the middle as she put her arms around their shoulders.

"Well, you two are dating, right?" she asked as if it was obvious, which caused Honoka and Chika to instantly become red.

"And you didn't even tell us!" Mari chimed in as if she was angry, but then smiled.

"How did you know?!" Honoka asked, embarrassed, and Kanan showed a smirk as she nodded toward Riko and You, who both looked slightly apologetic.

"Sorry…everyone was concerned when you didn't come to school…" Riko explained in a murmur as she averted her eyes, but then You suddenly gave a thumbs-up and smiled brightly.

"At least you don't have to hide it anymore, right?"

You's words and the celebration helped matters, and the situation seemed fine, but it was still a bit embarrassing.

Suddenly though, Chika spoke up.

"And you're all fine with it?" she asked confused, surprised that there wasn't any discussion compared to the incident at Umi and Kotori's.

Dia sighed quietly in response.

"…while I'm not thrilled at the idea, there's no reason to stop it. Unless…something were to happen," Dia added on as she suddenly stared directly at Honoka, which sent a shiver up her spine.

Honoka could practically feel sweat drops forming as she looked back at Dia. It seemed like she was really protective over those close to her. However, Honoka could somehow tell Dia was just saying it as a precaution. She hoped.

"I think it's fine too!" Ruby added from behind Dia's back, peeking her head out to watch the pair.

Yoshiko noticed the small exchange between Honoka and Dia, then decided to bring the attention to herself as she laughed haughtily.

"Yohane doesn't usually share her little demons, but she'll allow it this once," she announced with a grin, and Hanamaru smirked.

"That's sweet of you, Yoshiko-chan," Hanamaru said sarcastically and playful, but Yoshiko blushed at the compliment.

"Wha-?! Sweet?! Well, I-" Yoshiko cut herself off as she realized, then frowned as she fully turned her body toward Hanamaru.

"It's Yohane!"

Laughter filled the room, and after a short moment, Honoka and Chika finally began to relax, and a warm smile appeared on Chika's face.

"Everyone…thank you," she whispered to herself, then suddenly broke away from Kanan and ran toward everyone, excited to celebrate with them.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone!

Apologies for no ending note last chapter, I know everyone's tired of me apologizing for being late with chapters so I held myself back and simply tried to push forward. Hopefully this chapter came out at a more reasonable speed.

Anyway, this small drama segment is done, and now even everyone in Aqours knows they're dating! Or is it still pretend dating? They didn't bother to correct them, so who knows?

Just as a small disclaimer I want to announce now, this series will be more focused on the couple itself and the events of the fic rather than all the events from the anime, so it won't be too long. No concrete details on how many chapters left, but it'll definitely be shorter than my TsubaHono story, which was 31 chapters.

Thank you everyone for reading!


	12. Chika's Wish

"Hmm…yeah, this is tough," Honoka murmured as she leaned against Chika's back, then sighed quietly.

Chika gently pressed back against Honoka, then peered over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of Honoka's notebook.

When she saw that nothing was written down, she smiled lightheartedly.

"It's okay, we'll think of something!" Chika announced with confidence, then turned her attention back to her own notebook, which only had a few lines.

Before Chika could focus on her notebook however, Honoka's presence on her back disappeared for a moment. It was then replaced with something much more incredible.

Honoka wrapped her legs around Chika's waist, then leaned forward on Chika's back as she peered over her shoulder to examine her progress.

"Let's see, let's see…" Honoka murmured to herself as her eyes scanned the lines, then she tilted her head quizzically.

"'Something more powerful…'" she read out the line, then laughed quietly. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked a bit teasingly, but then went quiet upon seeing all the shades of red on Chika's face.

"Chika-chan…?" Honoka called out with a hint of concern, and Chika glanced toward her.

Seeing their faces so close to each other was the tipping point.

"I-I-I have to use the restroom!" Chika blurted out in an uncharacteristic panic, then quickly forced her way out of Honoka's hold and practically sprinted out of the room.

Honoka blankly stared at the open doorway for a few seconds in surprise before turning her attention back to her own notebook.

"That was weird…" she mumbled to herself, then started to wonder if she did something wrong.

…

Chika was staring at her reflection in the restroom mirror as she attempted to calm her panicking heart.

It felt like things were back to square one and she didn't know what to do about it. She should be fine with things like what Honoka did a minute ago, but she can't manage to act normally. She does know the reason behind it, however.

She sighed.

"I wonder if Honoka-chan thinks I'm weird now…" she whispered to herself as she quickly shook her head.

Some time had passed since the two of them went to Umi and Kotori's apartment. They and the rest of Aqours were now in the middle of preparing for the regional qualifiers, which was why they were helping each other think of ideas for Aqours' performance in Chika's room.

Since the Tokyo visit, Honoka and Chika had become a lot closer, and seemed more comfortable around each other. They could hold hands, hug and cuddle a bit without becoming stammering messes. Or at least they used to be able to.

Chika sighed again. She was fine with everything at first, but now not so much, and that earlier move from Honoka was on a whole different level. She couldn't keep her emotions in check. And the reason for that was…

Chika softly touched her own lips with a finger as Honoka's face appeared in her thoughts. She used to be content with just hugging and other small things, but now all she could think about was…

She frantically shook her head once more, a blush on her cheeks as she pushed away the multiple thoughts and scenes that were forming in her head. She couldn't think about that now. There was something much more important to concentrate her efforts on.

Aqours' performance.

…

…

Back in Chika's room, the two of them were sitting down with their backs against each other again, a bit of the awkwardness from earlier still in the air.

That didn't stop them from thinking about the performance though, as Honoka smiled a bit as she jotted down some potential ideas.

With each idea that formed in her head though, she couldn't help herself from also imagining the same imaginary scenario with μ's. She found it fun to think of Kotori performing a flip, or Umi wearing the potential outfit design, and more.

Chika had been contemplating her own ideas as well, and suddenly turned herself around, scooting up to be by Honoka's side.

"Honoka-chan, what do you think about this?" she asked simply as she held the notebook in front of them both.

Honoka was snapped out of her own thoughts and looked blankly at Chika for a moment before understanding the request, then shifted her gaze to the notebook.

"Let's see…" she whispered happily, then after examining the notes, tilted her head a bit in confusion.

"Chika-chan, I think you made a mistake," she announced quietly as she glanced at Chika.

Instead of being confused though, Chika smiled a bit as she momentarily met Honoka's gaze, then looked down at the notebook.

"Really? Where?"

"Right here, see?" Honoka pointed at a spot on the page, then moved her finger around the page.

"This formation has ten people in it."

Instead of being surprised like Honoka expected, Chika simply nodded enthusiastically.

"Mhm! I thought you could perform with us, Honoka-chan!" she suggested casually and happy despite how absurd it was.

Honoka was in shock for a moment before quickly leaning away from Chika.

"H-Huh?! Me?!" she stammered out, and Chika immediately nodded again.

"Yeah! It'll be fun!" Chika leaned forward a bit, closing the distance that Honoka just created.

Honoka thought about it, then a sad expression flashed on her face momentarily before she returned to her normal face.

"But you can't change your group once you've entered…" Honoka answered quietly, destroying Chika's dreams as Chika leaned back with a sigh.

"Ahh, and I thought it was a good idea too," Chika pouted, and a small smile formed on Honoka's lips as she returned to her usual spot, their shoulders brushing against one another.

"What made you think of that anyway?" Honoka asked curiously.

Chika rubbed the back of her own head in embarrassment as she let out a quiet laugh.

"Well…we're all fans of μ's, so it just feels like a waste to not sing with you once, right? Oh, and we'd get more votes too!" she added on, and Honoka giggled a bit, the last part reminding her of Nico in a way.

"Well, we'll have to think of something el-"

"You'd want to though, right?" Chika cut her off, gazing up at her with a hopeful expression.

"Huh?" Honoka looked back at Chika, meeting her eyes.

"I want to perform with you! You do too, right?" Chika asked energetically, but Honoka averted her gaze.

"Well, I…" she mumbled, then went quiet for a long moment.

She spoke again soon enough, but it wasn't an answer.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow! It's really late," Honoka suggested nervously, then stood up.

"Ah, okay…" was all Chika could mutter in response. She was taken aback a bit by the abrupt end of the conversation.

To her, it seemed as if Honoka didn't like that topic for some reason, though she couldn't begin to think as to why.

The two exchanged goodnights, and Chika lied on her bed as she thought of an explanation for what just happened.

As she thought of Honoka though, her thoughts naturally drifted to her other 'problem' with Honoka, and she forced those thoughts away with a deep blush before falling to sleep.

* * *

The next morning was uneventful. Or at least it would've been had Honoka not tried to feed Chika at the table in front of Shima and Mito, which earned a rough teasing from Mito and a little from Shima as well. Chika was frantic that their relationship was about to be discovered, but her sisters didn't seem suspicious yet.

Now, they were in the idol clubroom with the rest of Aqours, where everyone was discussing what ideas they came up with.

Outfit ideas, dance techniques and formations, lyrics, composition, themes. Everyone had noted down a few thoughts of what would make an amazing performance for the regional qualifiers, and now they were slowly getting closer to making another dream performance a reality.

Honoka was cheerful and engaged in the conversation at first, but as it went on for longer and various exciting ideas were shared, she slowly became quiet as a complicated expression appeared on her face, a look of guilt and sadness.

Chika had glanced over and noticed Honoka's state, and was about to ask what was bothering her, but she quickly stopped herself upon remembering the scene from last night. Instead, she made a mental note to discuss it with Honoka later.

Shortly after, Aqours started practice. Seeing as how they didn't have a specific dance or song to practice yet, they instead did simple physical and vocal exercises before calling it a day. With the ideas now being more concrete, and Kanan reluctantly revealing the existence of a special routine, they'd be able to practice their next song soon.

* * *

Honoka opened the sliding door to Chika's room, a towel around her neck with her hair still a bit wet, smiling upon seeing Chika.

"You'll be able to do it tomorrow, I promise!" Honoka claimed without any doubt, and Chika quickly nodded with a smile to match Honoka's.

"Mhm! Like Kanan-chan said, it's really hard, but I know I can do it!" Chika answered confidently, then brought her gaze to Honoka's hair.

"Ah, Honoka-chan, sit down," she changed the topic suddenly, patting the floor in front of her.

Honoka looked at her curiously, but then decided to do as told and sat down, facing her.

"Like this?" Honoka asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Chika shook her head with a soft smile, then slowly moved to be sitting behind Honoka.

"Ah!" Honoka let out a surprised yell, then laughed bashfully.

"You don't have to," she said gently.

Chika didn't listen though and kept drying Honoka's hair with the towel.

"Mom says that if you don't dry your hair before sleeping, you'll get sick," Chika warned quietly.

Honoka gave in easily enough, then began humming with an expression of bliss on her face.

Chika gladly dried Honoka for a bit, but after some time, decided to ask the question that's been on her mind.

"Honoka-chan?"

"Hmm?" Honoka answered absent-mindedly with a voice full of happiness.

"Is something…wrong?" Chika asked carefully, and Honoka's humming stopped.

"What do you mean?" Honoka's sounded confused, but they both knew that she was just delaying it.

"Well, during practice…and last night…"

As Chika started, Honoka quickly escaped from the hair-drying treatment and turned around to face her, waving her hands in dismissal.

"Okay, okay! I'll say it! Just promise you won't laugh," Honoka whispered with a faint blush, and Chika scooted closer.

"I won't," Chika promised, and Honoka slowly nodded.

"Well…when I watch everyone practice and come up with ideas, it reminds me of when I was with µ's and how fun it was, so I was thinking…that I want to do it too," Honoka admitted softly, and Chika instantly leaned forward with a bright smile.

"So you'd perform with us?!" she asked excitedly, but Honoka quickly shook her head, fast enough that it seemed like it might pop off.

"But! But! But!" Honoka interjected, cutting Chika off, then continued.

"Wouldn't that be unfair to µ's? We all decided to stop, so doing a performance now would…" Honoka trailed off as her gaze moved to the ground between them.

Chika stared at Honoka for a long moment as she thought about it, then came up with a simple solution.

"Why don't you all sing with us? That'd be way more fun, right?!" she asked cheerfully, and Honoka looked up to blankly meet her gaze.

"Huh? Everyone…?"

Chika nodded.

"Yeah! There's a break after the regional qualifiers, so we could hold a concert with you all! Ahh, I'm so excited!" Chika's voice was full of cheer and bliss, announcing the concert as if it was already agreed upon.

"Well, I…" Honoka started, but then decided to cast away her worries as she quickly formed a smile.

"Okay! Let's do it!" she agreed, and the two happily hugged.

…

…

They talked more about the idea, with Honoka promising to recruit the other former µ's members for the concert and Chika promising to get the other Aqours members onboard as well. The theoretical concert would take place after the regional qualifiers, and they'd secure an open venue for it.

By the time everything was planned out though, it was already quite late, and Honoka stood up to leave.

However, Chika suddenly grabbed onto her hand. She didn't have an answer for Honoka's confused expression, she just blurted out her desire without thinking about it.

For Honoka to sleep in the same bed as her that night.

To her surprise, Honoka agreed with a deep blush after a long pause.

The two talked for a while, but soon enough, Honoka peacefully fell asleep.

As for Chika…

She stared at Honoka's sleeping face, a million thoughts running through her head as her face heated up.

As Chika watched, she began to inch closer despite her mind telling her no.

No way. Stop.

Closer…

What if she wakes up?!

Just a bit more…

Was this really happening…?!

…

Immediately after kissing Honoka's cheek, Chika retracted to her side of the bed, burying her red face in the pillow as her feet kicked around slightly.

"You idiot…" Chika murmured to herself, then brought a finger to her own lips, thinking back to what just transpired.

After a bit, she sighed quietly as she moved to hug the pillow.

"I want to do it for real soon…"

After stating her wish, she eventually fell asleep after mentally slapping away all the new thoughts appearing in her head.


	13. First of Hopefully Many

One more time. And another.

It seemed so close, yet so incredibly far at the same time.

But with just a little more concentration…

…

…!

Chika fell once again onto the cold sand as Honoka watched with a concerned expression.

They'd been there for over two hours at this point, taking breaks every so often for Chika's sake, despite her protesting that she didn't need them.

The dance routine in Kanan's notebook seemed difficult at first glance, and even tougher in reality. Originally, Chika had thought it to be demanding, but doable within a few days.

That proved to be off the mark, as Chika fell once again, this time at an odd angle.

Honoka immediately stood up, but Chika quickly sat up and assured her that she was fine. Honoka immediately let out a relieved sigh then sat back down.

It'd been a week or so after she made the deal for a combined concert with Chika. Neither of them had discussed it with μ's or Aqours yet though, and there was a good reason for that. The regional qualifiers were quickly approaching, and they didn't have much time to complete the routine. Kanan had come to the beach sometimes to watch Chika's progress, and Honoka and Chika could both tell that her patience was beginning to wear thin.

Riko, You and the other members of Aqours would come to watch sometimes as well, chatting with Honoka as Chika practiced and talking with them both during breaks. Their presence helped ease the frustration from being unable to perform the flip, but it was still there. Chika needed to perfect this routine soon.

Despite her wishes, though…

Chika messed up once more, landing on her back with a quiet sound of pain. She lied there motionlessly for a few seconds, then quickly slammed her fist on the sand next to her.

As Chika stared up at the sky, attempting to hold back tears of frustration, a figure blocked part of the sky as it looked down at her.

"Let's call it here for today," Honoka said warmly, and after a long pause, Chika reluctantly nodded.

* * *

Back at the inn, Chika, after having had some time to cool off, stretched her arms.

"You can go in the bath first, Honoka-chan," she offered calmly.

However, Honoka slowly shook her head, then grinned.

"Actually…I had something else in mind," Honoka said as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and Chika stared at her curiously.

"Like what?"

Honoka giggled quietly, then softly took Chika's hand in hers.

"Come on!" she said energetically, then led Chika along.

…

Chika knew the Takami Inn inside and out by now, so she had a good idea where they were going. It was a mystery as to why they never went there sooner, actually. It was pretty much the only thing that their inn was famous for.

Knowing the destination didn't make her less nervous though. If anything, it only made her panic more.

And sure enough…

"Come on, let's go!" Honoka said as they stood at the entrance of the changing room, the open-air hot springs waiting just beyond it.

"W-Wait!" Chika blurted out, causing Honoka to look at her worriedly.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's not that…"

Chika blushed. The simple explanation was that she was dating Honoka, so it was natural, but it still boggled her mind as to why she was perfectly fine with entering a hot spring with You, Riko, or anyone else from Aqours, but was now nervous when with Honoka.

She had to admit that the idea was extremely appealing, though. Relaxing was exactly what she needed after practicing so much.

…

Chika eventually accepted Honoka's invitation, and they went in the changing section one at a time as per Chika's request so that she didn't die of embarrassment.

Now on the other side, Honoka and Chika were both sitting on stools with only a bath towel covering each of them, and Honoka was gently running her shampoo-covered hands through Chika's hair.

"This feels nice…" Honoka murmured happily, humming a bit as she worked.

Chika was happy as well, and she let out a relieved sigh as the smooth sensation of Honoka's hands put her at ease.

When Honoka proposed that they washed each other's hair, she expected to be an uncontrollable blushing mess. It seemed like she was getting more comfortable with everything though.

"You'll be able to do the flip tomorrow, Chika-chan. I know it!"

Chika was surprised at the sudden encouragement from Honoka, and her expression turned sad for a moment, but then she quickly shook her head and smiled.

"Mhm! Definitely tomorrow!" Chika replied with as much optimism as Honoka, though it sounded slightly forced.

After all the failures…it was difficult to stay fully positive. But she knew she had to do it. For Love Live, Aqours, and their school.

"I wish there was something I could do to help though…" Honoka whispered.

"Just you being there is enough, Honoka-chan," Chika immediately answered, wanting to put her at ease.

She meant the answer too. When she would fall, she could always look at Honoka for support. Just having someone watching her progress gave her the motivation to push on.

"But still…" Honoka pouted.

"Honoka-chan, you-ah!" Chika let out a surprised sound as water suddenly rained down on her, and Honoka giggled.

"Sorry, sorry! What were you saying?" Honoka asked with a small smile as she poured conditioner into her hand, then began running her hands through Chika's hair once more.

Chika sighed, a blush present on her face again as she couldn't believe the sound she just made.

Chika stayed quiet for a moment, wondering how to erase Honoka's worries, then perked up and glanced back at Honoka as she had an idea.

"What about a reward?" Chika asked simply.

Honoka gave her a confused look in response.

"…reward? For what?"

"You know! You said you wanted to do something to help, right? How about a reward if I can do the flip?" Chika continued happily, and Honoka's eyes lit up at the idea.

"Okay! What kind of reward, though?" she asked curiously, and Chika could almost see a twinkle in Honoka's eyes from the excitement.

"A ki-" Chika started, but then immediately cut herself off, unable to believe what she about to suggest.

"Ki?" Honoka questioned as she slightly tilted her head, confused.

Chika began panicking as her blush intensified.

"A ki…ki…ki…" Chika stumbled on her words to buy time, determined to not go through with her original suggestion.

"A kickboxing lesson!"

Upon learning of Chika's interest in kicking others, Honoka looked at her blankly.

"I didn't know you were into kickboxing, Chika-chan…" Honoka murmured in amazement, and Chika quietly clarified that she wasn't.

…

After explaining that she didn't actually want kickboxing lessons, Chika told Honoka that she'd think of a reward and let her know as soon as possible. Honoka easily agreed, excited that she'd be able to do something for Chika.

After Honoka finished washing Chika's hair, it was now Honoka's turn.

As Chika sat behind Honoka, shampoo in hand, she remembered her thought earlier. That she surprised herself by being so comfortable with this situation.

She wanted to take that thought back.

Having Honoka so close in only a bath towel was something she wasn't expecting anytime soon. It reminded her of just how pretty Honoka really was.

"…chan?"

She wasn't planning on doing anything, she wasn't an idiot. Still…she'd be lying if she said that she hadn't thought about Honoka in that way. It was natural, and they were dating after all.

"…ka-chan?"

She'd been to hot springs with other Aqours members, and she changed with them all the time before performances, but this was different. She was embarrassed to have these thoughts running through her head, but-

"Chika-chan!"

Honoka's voice finally woke Chika up from her daze, and she glanced toward Honoka to see Honoka staring back at her with a mixed expression of concern and amusement.

"Are you okay?" Honoka asked lightheartedly.

"Ah, sorry!" Chika quickly realized that she'd been staring at Honoka's back for a while, then finally began washing Honoka's hair with a deep blush.

…

After the incident, Chika was able to focus for the most part on washing Honoka's hair, and the two chatted a bit about the potential combined concert. Everything was still up in the air, but they found it fun to think of potential ideas for it.

Now…

The two were relaxing in the hot spring, which was thankfully empty at the moment aside from them.

Honoka had an expression of bliss as she sunk lower in the water, and Chika was a good distance away from her, stealing glances at her every so often.

"Chika-chan," Honoka called out as she glanced over to Chika, then smiled.

"After you win the qualifiers, let's go on another date, okay?"

Chika perked up at those words, then began to move closer to Honoka as she met her gaze.

"Really?! Where do you want to go?!" Chika asked excitedly, a smile brighter than Honoka's forming on her lips.

"Hmm…" Honoka murmured as she put a finger to her chin.

"How about Tokyo again? We had to end it early last time," Honoka suggested, and Chika quickly nodded.

"Sure! We could go to an aquarium! Or Karaoke!" Chika suggested as she moved next to Honoka.

"We'll do both! And we'll…hmm…" Honoka trailed off as she attempted to think of good date spots.

"Maybe a sweets café? I want a parfait!" Chika chimed in, her eyes sparkling as she imagined being surrounded by parfaits.

"Huh? But they have parfaits here," Honoka reminded her, a bit confused, and Chika laughed a bit.

"Yeah, but they're not _Tokyo parfaits_, you know?" Chika said playfully.

Honoka smiled, then nodded.

"All right, so parfaits, an aquarium, karaoke, what else…"

As Honoka thought and the conversation was brought to a halt for a moment, Chika's eyes trailed down to Honoka's lips. It was only just then that she realized how close she had gotten to Honoka.

If she just…moved a little more…

"I could ask Nico-chan for more ideas…" Honoka mumbled to herself, still concentrated on the date.

Chika had been thinking about this moment for a while. And it was right in front of her. If she just…

"Oh, how about-" Honoka started speaking as she turned toward Chika, but was then cut off as Chika's lips met hers.

…huh?

Honoka sat there for a moment, her mind blank. Chika was…kissing her. While they were in a public hot spring.

It felt…good. But-

Honoka broke the kiss as she inched away a bit.

"Chika-chan, we-"

But she was cut off once again as Chika pursued her, making them kiss once more.

Honoka was drawn in by the softness of Chika's lips, then slowly gave in, moving into the kiss as well as she blushed.

Chika's mind was going wild. This was the moment she had wanted for so long.

She didn't know what she was doing. It was her first kiss after all. But the gentle feeling of Honoka's lips against hers, Honoka's taste…she loved it. And she wanted more.

Everything was quiet for a long moment, and the only sound that reached their ears was the sound of their kiss.

…

They eventually broke away from each other for air, and as they breathed heavily with flushed faces, Chika's eyes quickly widened when she realized what she had done.

"H-Honoka-chan! I'm…I'm so sorry! I just did it, and…" Chika trailed off, unable to find the words to justify her actions.

She had just done it without even asking Honoka. And even when Honoka tried to stop it, she chased after her. She wasn't sure what was going through her mind in that moment, but…surely, there was no-

"I…didn't mind, really," Honoka confessed as she averted her gaze, and Chika's heart skipped a beat as she watched her.

"You…you didn't?" Chika asked timidly, overtaken by embarrassment.

Honoka nodded.

"It was…good. It's just…" Honoka trailed off, causing Chika to chase the answer.

"Just…?"

"Well…we're in the hot spring, you know?" Honoka explained with a bashful laugh, and Chika's eyes widened as she remembered.

Anyone could have stepped in and saw the scene at any moment. But more importantly…

They were both nude.

Chika immediately became a stammering, blushing mess as she apologized profusely, to which Honoka had to console her and tell her that it was fine.

* * *

Chika didn't dare to even think of asking Honoka to sleep in her bed again, and the next morning was extremely embarrassing. They found it difficult to make eye contact with each other, and every conversation was filled with awkward silence and murmuring.

The mood found its way into practice, where they were both completely fine until they made eye contact with one another. It would usually end up in a mistake from Chika, causing the other members to become curious. They thankfully managed to avoid telling them about it though.

A few days passed, and the mood between them was back to normal. However, they hadn't kissed since then, and barely even hugged, deciding to focus on Love Live before figuring out what they had to do about that kiss.

And on the morning of Kanan's deadline, where if Chika couldn't perform the routine then they'd be forced to perform a different one…

…

…!

"Ah, you did it!"

"I knew it, zura!"

"Kukuku…Yohane knew you'd succeed."

"Chika-chan, you're amazing!"

"That was wonderful, Chika-chan!"

"Yay!"

"Chika-san, you did it! A-Ahem, I mean…impressive job, Chika-san."

"You had me worried, Chika-chan! That was fantastic!"

As Chika was surrounded by the members of Aqours congratulating her, she turned her attention to Honoka.

"Honoka-chan, I…I…" Chika started, originally full of energy, but now it seemed as if she was going to cry.

Honoka wrapped her arms around Chika tightly, then pulled her close.

"All your hard work paid off," Honoka whispered with a smile, and Chika couldn't contain herself anymore as she cried into Honoka's chest. The other members of Aqours quickly followed Honoka's lead, forming a group hug.

* * *

With nothing stopping them, Aqours practiced their routine for their new song, Miracle Wave. With the threat of their school being closed if they didn't receive 100 applicants after the performance, they practiced every day.

They'd begin as soon as the school day ended, and practiced well into the evening, having to receive rides home as there weren't any buses running by the time they finished practice.

And soon enough, the day of the regional qualifiers arrived.

As they stood behind the curtain, each member wearing their new outfit, Chika faced the group, then stuck her hand out with a bright smile.

"Okay, everyone!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

"From zero to one…from one to one-hundred!"

"Aqours! Sunshine!"

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I've released a chapter so close to another. Thank you very much for your patience.

As a quick note, I imagine that some readers may be wondering about the legality of the kiss in the story considering the age gap. As a reminder, as of now in the story, Chika is 17 and Honoka is 21. So not really a big gap at all.

For a short answer, the kiss was most likely fine as it was only a kiss. For a more detailed explanation though, it'll be a topic in either the next chapter or the one after, so please look forward to seeing how they develop!

Thank you everyone for reading! And thank you for leaving a review to those that do! I always love reading them.


	14. Bitter Success

Honoka's eyes were glued to her phone, watching the recording of Miracle Wave on repeat. She loved every part of it, and it was a million times better when she watched it in person on that day. To her, the performance was perfect.

So why wasn't it enough?

Aqours had performed their hearts out, offering every bit of energy they could muster to the stage. Chika's multiple days of failures, the bright smile on her face when she finally perfected the flip, the excitement of Aqours during their practice sessions afterward…and how happy everyone looked after earning first place at the regional qualifiers. All those scenes were engraved in Honoka's mind. It only made the pain of failure that much worse.

Ninety-eight applicants.

It hurt. However, if she herself had such an empty feeling in her chest, she couldn't even imagine how much pain the girls of Aqours were in.

She gazed toward the sliding door, a sigh escaping her lips afterwards.

'_Sorry, Honoka-chan. I want to be alone,' _Chika's words constantly echoed in her head.

Was she right to listen to Chika's request? Or should she have stayed with her no matter what to make sure she was okay?

Another sigh sounded throughout the room. It'd be an extremely unproductive night.

Honoka flipped over to her side as she held out her phone in front of her. Her fingers quickly navigated the screen, and soon her eyes were glued to a group photo of μ's.

If they hadn't been so fortunate in saving their school…what would they've done? Continue being idols? Even if they failed, they'd still be able to graduate from Otonokizaka before it closed. Aqours would be attending a different school.

Honoka dropped her phone, rolling onto her back as she stared at the ceiling above. All she could do was think about the situation, which just made her emotional. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she rested her arm over her face to hide them as she quietly sobbed.

…

Honoka had been alone for a while when a series of gentle knocks hit her door.

"C-Come in," Honoka said after clearing her throat, sitting up as she wiped away the tears.

The sliding door inched open, slowly revealing Chika standing in the hallway, light-blue pajamas and a sad expression making her seem incredibly delicate in the moment.

When Chika's eyes found Honoka's face, her expression turned to one of surprise.

"H-Honoka-chan?! Were you…crying?" she asked gently, Honoka immediately shaking her head in response.

"No," Honoka lied with a sniffle.

She brought her gaze to Chika. Her eyes widened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal as a forced half-smile appeared on her lips.

"You were crying too," Honoka pointed out, earning a quiet laugh from Chika.

"Yup," Chika admitted with a small smile, which faded from her lips shortly after.

Without another word, Chika slowly stepped into the room and sat down on the futon, right next to Honoka.

Chika slowly moved her hand across the futon, her smile returning when Honoka intertwined their fingers.

They sat in silence for a minute.

Aqours had held practice like normal after knowing their school would be shut down, but it had only taken a few minutes until a tear ran down Chika's face. After seeing that, the others couldn't ignore their own sadness anymore, so they cancelled practice and requested that each person think about what they wanted to do now.

"Honoka-chan."

The voice brought Honoka out of her thoughts, and after turning toward the voice, she was only a few inches away from Chika, staring into her eyes.

"…what do you think we should do?" Chika asked gently.

Honoka's gazed moved to the ground below her as a complicated expression arose on her face.

"Well, it's not really up to me…" Honoka trailed off, avoiding the question.

The warmth in Honoka's hand disappeared, and a few seconds later Chika's face came into view again.

"C-Chika-chan?!" Honoka blurted out in embarrassment as she stared down at Chika's head in her lap.

"Is it okay?" Chika asked, a hint of a blush on her cheeks as she looked up at Honoka.

Honoka averted her gaze, a blush of her own forming as she nodded.

Chika smiled.

"I still want to hear what you think, Honoka-chan," Chika insisted, causing Honoka to bring her attention back to Chika.

Honoka already knew what she wanted Aqours to do. It was obvious. As a fan, their advisor, and…Chika's lover…she wanted the option that'd make them the happiest. But she didn't want to push her thoughts on them.

"What do you want to do?" Honoka asked as Chika immediately pouted.

"No fair! I asked first!" she protested as Honoka giggled.

"Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to hear your answer before saying mine," Honoka answered, not budging on her position.

Chika held her pout for a moment, a sigh escaping her lips shortly afterwards.

"Fine…" Chika groaned playfully, her hands joining together on top of her stomach as she readied herself.

Honoka softly bit her lower lip as she awaited Chika's answer. What could be going through her head? Did she think being an idol was pointless now? Would she-

"I don't know."

Honoka's thoughts stopped, her mind instead filling with question marks as she looked blankly at Chika.

"Huh?" Honoka asked while tilting her head in confusion.

"I don't know," Chika repeated as she closed her eyes with a sigh.

"I wanted to be a school idol because I thought it'd be fun. And it is! But then we found out about the school closing, and we all wanted to save it, and…" Chika trailed off as she flipped over, now facing Honoka's stomach.

"I still want to be an idol! I don't want to quit!"

Honoka's eyes widened for a moment at the outburst, but her lips curled into a smile at the answer.

"Then you should keep being an idol!" Honoka energetically chimed in, and Chika quickly got up from her lap.

"Right?! But…I'm worried…" Chika murmured, her burst of energy only lasting for a moment.

"About what?" Honoka asked quietly.

"What if they don't want to?" Chika asked worriedly, and after staring at her for a few seconds, Honoka quietly laughed.

"W-What is it?" Chika stammered, confused, and Honoka waved a hand in dismissal as she tried to calm down.

"Sorry, sorry…" Honoka murmured, letting out a sigh as she got the laughing out of her system.

"It's just hard to imagine them not wanting to," she explained, but it only made Chika more confused.

"Huh? How do you know?" she asked as she leaned forward, but Honoka shook her head.

"Not telling," Honoka teased, only making Chika more insistent.

"Tell me, tell me!" Chika demanded happily, her sad mood now gone as she continued to inch toward Honoka, who was now retreating.

"Just tell them and- ahh!" Honoka let out a sound of surprise as Chika lunged at her.

Chika reached for Honoka's wrists, holding onto them as the two fell to the ground with Chika straddled on top of her.

"Seriously, what makes you so sur-" Chika cut herself off as Honoka's expression changed.

Just a few seconds before, it was a lighthearted and happy atmosphere, but now Honoka had a deep blush as she stared at Chika with anticipation.

The vivid memory of their previous kiss instantly appeared in Chika's thoughts. It had been a few weeks since then, and she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't miss it.

Honoka was nervous as she watched Chika, but stayed silent, unsure what to do. It was clear that Chika was thinking about the same thing.

Honoka was aware she was making it awkward. If she just said something, anything, the atmosphere would calm down and return to normal. However, it was proving to be difficult to get any words out.

Slowly, Chika started lowering herself closer to Honoka.

Honoka gulped as she closed her eyes.

…

…

…?

Nothing was hap-

Just as Honoka was about to open her eyes, a familiar sensation landed on her lips.

She leaned into it right away, wrapping her arms around Chika as the two rolled on their sides and moved closer to each other.

It was sweet, soft, and just like the one from a few weeks ago. She could completely lose herself in it.

Chika's hands running through her hair made her feel happy. The warmth from their kiss and closeness couldn't be replaced by anything.

But…part of her was unsure. Just freely kissing like this could be dangerous. It'd been on her mind since the first kiss, but maybe it'd be better to-

As Honoka was distracted by her thoughts, Chika was only getting more invested as she tried to insert her tongue into the kiss.

Honoka's eyes opened as she quickly broke the kiss, a blush on her cheeks as she stared at Chika in surprise.

Chika appeared just as surprised as Honoka.

"S-Sorry! I should've asked, and…" Chika murmured bashfully, a blush present on her face as well.

However, Honoka's expression changed to a complicated one a few moments later.

"Chika-chan…can we talk?"

Chika gave Honoka a confused look for a moment, but eventually nodded.

…

…

"You want to…wait?" Chika asked quietly.

"Just for things past regular kissing! And…just until your birthday," Honoka explained.

A look of sadness flashed on Chika's face for a moment, but she quickly shook her head and smiled.

"Y-Yeah! That's okay! I…feel kind of embarrassed about earlier now," Chika admitted as she gently scratched the back of her head.

The room was silent for a few moments until Chika looked at Honoka with a deep blush.

"…is sleeping together allowed?" she asked quietly.

* * *

The next day arrived, and although Honoka and Chika slept in the same futon together, the mood between them was still slightly awkward that morning.

Chika went to school as usual, and finally, it was time for Aqours to make their decision.

The members met on the rooftop, Honoka watching from a little bit away, not wanting to influence their decision somehow.

Chika was nervous, but she spoke up first and admitted that she wanted to keep being a school idol no matter what. The others easily agreed, causing Chika to be confused and Honoka to smile, feeling a bit smug.

Surprisingly, most of the other students of Uranohoshi were there as well, pleading with Aqours to 'immortalize Uranohoshi.'

It made Aqours much more motivated.

As they accepted, half of them holding back tears, Honoka walked toward the group as they formed a circle.

With smiles on all their faces, Chika started their routine.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

"From zero to one! And from one to…to…hmm…"

Everyone else stared at Chika, some confused, others with smirks on their faces, and the rest patiently waiting.

"Fight, Chika-chan," Honoka quietly encouraged, and Chika gazed over at her for a moment, smiling as she nodded.

"We'll think of it later!" Chika said nonchalantly, immediately continuing afterwards.

"Aqours! Suuuunnn….shine!"

"'We'll think of it later'…seriously…" Dia whispered in disbelief as soon as it was over, and Kanan put a hand on her shoulder with a smile.

"It's very Chika-like though, right?" she asked, only to receive a sigh in response.

You hugged Chika and Honoka from behind with a bright smile, bringing them closer together.

"We're still idols! Isn't that-huh? What's going on?" You asked, confused, her eyes darting back and forth between Chika and Honoka, who both had an uncontrollable blush on their faces.

"I-It's nothing," Chika stammered as Honoka quickly nodded in agreement, but it only made You more curious.

"Huh? Tell me!" she insisted, only making the duo more nervous.

"Well, it's good that that's dealt with," Yoshiko said simply, Hanamaru raising a brow in response.

"…that's it? No demon stuff this time, Yoshiko-chan?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Yoshiko blushed as she yelled.

"It's Yohane! A-And of course I'm happy all my little demons are still here! I still have much to teach you all," she explained, getting quieter throughout the sentence, gently scratching her cheek in embarrassment afterwards.

"And…us demons…are happy as well…" Riko whispered, fidgeting a bit as she kept her eyes on the ground.

Yoshiko and Hanamaru stared blankly at her in response.

"What are you doing, zura?"

"I-I thought it'd make her happy!" Riko yelled, flustered, causing Hanamaru to giggle and Yoshiko to blush more.

"I thought it was good, Riko-chan!" Ruby tried to encourage her, but Riko's shoulders slumped.

"Okay, stooooopppp!" Mari yelled, causing everyone to turn and stare at her.

"Mari-san?" Dia asked, confused, but Mari just smiled.

"If we're going to win Love Live and make everyone remember our school, we have to practice, right?" she asked with a wink, and a calm smile returned to everyone's faces.

"Let's go, everyone!" Chika shouted as she ran toward the stairs, and everyone excitedly followed her to the clubroom.

* * *

"Hmm…"

"Huh…"

"Ugh…"

After practice, Chika, You and Riko were sitting around a kotatsu at You's house, Chika's issue on their minds. She had told them what Honoka said, and now they were trying to find a solution.

"You're not breaking up, right? She just wants to wait? That sounds reasonable," Riko said simply, causing Chika to groan and lay her head on the table.

"I know, but…" Chika murmured, a blush on her cheeks as her head filled with thoughts she didn't want to share.

"It's not that long of a wait, Chika-chan! It'll be fine!" You encouraged her, but Chika kept pouting.

You and Riko gazed at Chika with worried looks.

"You love Honoka-san though, right?" Riko asked.

Chika sat up, staring right back at Riko.

"I do!" she confessed easily as smiles appeared on Riko and You's faces. However, Chika quickly rested her head on the table again.

"I love her, so…I want to do more," Chika whispered as her blush returned, and one appeared on Riko's face as well.

"Well, that's…" Riko trailed off, unsure how to answer that.

"Riko-chan, isn't there something from your manga that could help?" You asked casually as Riko's blush now made her entire face red.

"A-A-Absolutely not!" Riko yelled in a frenzy as You sighed.

"Maybe going on more dates would help you hold back?" You suggested.

Chika sat back up, tilting her head slightly as she thought about it.

"That'd just make it worse…I think?" Chika guessed as she cupped her own chin.

"If the pair doesn't have enough alone time together, then they'd want to make up for it by being more intimate. Being more physical is the easiest way…" Riko quickly mumbled to herself as You raised a brow.

"I thought you said your manga wouldn't help," she teased, and Riko waved her hands in front of herself in dismissal.

"I-It wouldn't! That wasn't from a manga!"

"Wait, so it's from your own experience?!" You asked drastically with a shocked expression, and Riko stared back at her in panic for a few moments before slowly looking down at the ground.

"…it was from a manga," she admitted as You grinned.

It was fun to tease Riko, but You returned to thinking about the situation as she gazed at the ceiling above her.

"Not enough alone time, huh…wait, that's it!" You yelled excitedly, quickly scooting over to Riko and leaning next to her ear as she whispered.

…

"Seriously?!" Riko asked, surprised, and You nodded confidently.

Chika looked at the two of them, curious.

"What is it?"

"You and Honoka-san should go on a trip together!" You suggested as Chika instantly stood up with a beaming smile.

"I'm in!" Chika agreed with a glint in her eyes, You returning the smile as Riko sighed playfully.

"Why whisper it to me if you're going to tell her anyway?" she teased.

* * *

"You pulled me out of darkness…that guiding light, that warmth…you're-"

The sound of a cell phone ringing interrupted her playing, and annoyance instantly showed on her face.

She gently set the guitar down on the couch, sighing heavily as she walked toward the phone.

She picked it up, ready to be even more annoyed at an unknown or unlisted number, but her eyes widened instead as she read the name.

"Maki?" Nico called out as she poked her head around the corner, and Maki gave her a quick glance before looking down at the phone again.

"…Honoka?" Maki asked as she accepted the call and brought the phone to her ear.

…

…

…

"A concert?!"

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone, apologies for the long delay between chapters!

I've been extremely unproductive. There's really no excuse. However, as I've said before, I'm not giving up on the story, and I really want to write Chika and Honoka's full story together. So, I fully intend to start updating it a lot more frequently.

I will have a new chapter at least every two weeks, hopefully every week, until it's completed. I have a lot more ideas for it now and I know where I'm wanting it to go.

Thank you everyone for reading and those that have been extremely patient since the start of it. I really don't deserve the kindness.

Look out for another chapter soon! Thank you again!


	15. First Recruitment Attempt

"Okay, okay! I'll think about it. Mhm. Bye."

Maki sighed after tapping the 'end call' button, sliding her phone into her pocket as she walked back to the couch and sat down.

She grabbed her guitar and placed it in her lap, but after a few moments, shook her head and leaned it against the couch.

Nico slowly followed, standing by the couch with hands joined behind her back as she stared at Maki.

"What did Honoka want?" she asked as Maki groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Something so ridiculous it's not worth mentioning…" she murmured.

Nico pouted.

"I asked what she wanted, not what you think about it," Nico said as she sat next to Maki.

Maki was silent for a bit, but eventually sighed as she stared at the ground.

"It has to do with Honoka being around Aqours," Maki said vaguely, causing Nico to tilt her head.

"What about it?"

"She…wants μ's to perform with them at a concert."

"Wha-?!" Nico was shocked, but her expression quickly turned to a disappointed one.

"…is she an idiot or what?" Nico murmured.

The two sat in silence for a bit.

μ's was done. They had all moved on and most of them were working toward different paths in life.

So why would Honoka want to do something like that?

…

"…what do you think, Maki?" Nico asked quietly as Maki gave her a look of disbelief.

"Huh? I'm saying no, obviously. It'd be a waste of time," Maki said coldly.

Maki and Nico were both in schooling, Maki to be a doctor and Nico to be a nurse. The rest of μ's were in shock at Nico's choice at first, but she explained it as 'she had always been interesting in nursing.' However, the real reason was obvious.

Either way, college left them barely any free time, certainly not enough to justify an idol concert where they'd have to practice for weeks to put on a halfway-decent performance.

Still…

Nico gazed at Maki for a few seconds before stretching her arms.

It almost seemed like a waste to not accept Honoka's offer.

"I think I want to do it," Nico announced.

Maki was stunned.

"Are you serious?" she asked as Nico nodded.

Maki sighed again.

"…Nico-chan, I don't know how much free time you have, but I can't afford to play along with Honoka's game," Maki murmured.

Something about that comment annoyed Nico.

"That was really harsh."

Maki stared at her, confused.

"Huh?"

Nico brought her hands together as she averted her gaze.

"When we were idols, I thought Honoka could be an idiot sometimes. But she was always trying to make everyone happy. And…I think she's trying to make us happy again. We haven't hung out as a group at all lately, so…"

Nico sighed quietly.

"…to call it 'a game' seems harsh," she finished.

Maki was quiet for a moment as a faint blush appeared on her face and she brought her eyes to the ground as well.

Nico had a point. It was rude of her to assume Honoka was just messing around. However…she still wasn't sold on the idea of a concert.

"…you're right, sorry. But still, I don't kn-"

"Huh? What did you say, Maki? Did you say…I'm right?" Nico teased as she scooted closer to Maki, who now regretted her choice of words.

"J-Just this once!" Maki stammered as she retreated.

Nico stood up with a triumphant pose as she laughed.

"That's right! I'm smarter than Maki, just like I said! After all those times-"

"Nico-chan!" Maki complained as her face turned completely red from embarrassment.

Nico gazed at her and smiled a bit.

…

"Huh?!" Maki yelled in surprise as Nico jumped at her, the two of them now lying on the couch with Nico on top of her.

Nico grinned.

"Jeez…" Maki mumbled as she averted her gaze.

Nico brought her arms around Maki's neck and connected their lips.

* * *

Honoka stared at the phone in her hand with a worried expression on her face.

She knew Maki would be difficult to convince, but she didn't expect to be denied right away.

Well…she'd just have to try again later or hope Nico could convince her.

…

Honoka frowned upon realizing it.

She hadn't even told Nico, or anyone else yet for that matter…

Honoka navigated her phone to call someone else, but a few knocks hit her door as she glanced over at it.

It seemed asking the others would have to wait.

"Ah, coming!" she yelled while running over.

Shima Takami was revealed as Honoka slid the door open.

"Are you ready, Honoka-san?" she asked with a gentle smile as Honoka's face lit up.

"Mhm! Thank you so much!" Honoka said happily as she followed Shima out of the room.

* * *

After discussing the potential 'romantic trip,' Chika returned home. However, something was odd.

She wasn't allowed near the kitchen.

Upon walking inside and heading there for a snack, Mito appeared in front of her, acting suspiciously.

"H-H-Hey, Chika! How was school?!" Mito stammered out with an awkward smile, earning a look of confusion in response.

"Mito-nee? You never care about that st-"

"Sure I do! Really! So, you should tell me all about it…over here!" Mito said as she gestured toward the living room.

Chika's confusion quickly became suspicion.

"Mito-nee, what's going on? You're-"

"Ugh, shut up and come on!" Mito said angrily, grabbing Chika's collar as she walked to the living room.

"Wah! M-Mito-nee, wait! I'm-ahh!" Chika yelled in a panic as she tripped, causing her and Mito to both tumble into the room.

…

…

Chika and Mito sat on opposite sides of the table, staring at each other with irritated looks.

When Chika asked if she could go to the kitchen, Mito said no. When she asked for a reason, Mito wouldn't explain.

It was…

Extremely suspicious.

"I can go anywhere except the kitchen, right?" Chika asked as she stood up.

Mito was resting her head on her palm as she looked at Chika.

"Yeah, that's fine," Mito murmured.

She couldn't believe she was tasked with keeping Chika away from the kitchen like some babysitter.

She loved Chika to death, though she didn't always show it. But telling Chika what she could and couldn't do was a job more suitable for their mother or Shima. Unless Chika was disrupting her sleep, of course.

Mito breathed a sigh as Chika stood up to leave, but her eyes quickly widened.

"Wait, where are you going?" Mito asked.

"Honoka-chan's room," Chika answered, and Mito stood up.

"Y-You can't go there either!"

Chika frowned.

"Huh?! Why not?!"

And the process of Chika asking questions and Mito being unable to answer them continued.

* * *

"So, like this…" Honoka murmured as she mixed the contents.

Shina nodded with a smile as she watched Honoka.

Earlier, Honoka had nervously approached Shima and, out of the blue, asked her for baking lessons.

When prompted as to why, she said she loved the snacks Shima would occasionally make, so she wanted to learn from her.

Now, Shima was able to watch with amusement as Honoka wore an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"So…" Shima started.

"Yes?"

"This is for Chika, right?"

Honoka let out a sound of surprise and nearly dropped the bowl she was holding as she turned red from Shima's question.

"H-Huh?! Chika-chan?! Well, um-"

"Her and the rest of Aqours, right? You want to make them snacks?" Shima clarified as Honoka breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mhm! Kotori-chan would sometimes bring snacks for us when I was an idol and it made everyone happy! So, I was thinking it might make them happy too," Honoka answered with a smile.

Shima nodded.

"And you want to make special ones for Chika."

Honoka nearly dropped the bowl again.

"Shima-san! You're doing that on purpose!" Honoka complained with a faint blush as Shima giggled.

"Sorry, sorry…it's just…" Shima trailed off with a small smile.

"Just?" Honoka prompted.

Shima met her gaze.

"Honoka-san…you're dating Chika, right?"

Honoka stopped mixing, her eyes widening as she gulped.

"…yes."

* * *

Honoka woke up the next morning with a complicated feeling in her heart from the conversation with Shima.

Yesterday, when she confessed she was dating Chika, she was expecting a scolding or disapproval. Instead, Shima had expressed concern for her. More specifically, concern for their relationship.

It was easy for her to forget due to having fun with Aqours, but she was still a university student. She'd managed to complete some work online since staying in Uchiura, but she'd have to go back to Tokyo eventually.

Of course, it was only a two-hour trip from her apartment to Takami Inn, so it wasn't anything major. But having to travel four hours per visit would probably only let her and Chika meet once a week at most.

And Chika still had another year of school left after the current one.

Honoka sighed.

She was happy Shima approved of the relationship. However, knowing her and Chika's situation would change soon…was saddening.

They were used to living in the same place. Being able to see and touch each other every day…that would most likely end after the Love Live finals. She'd have to go back afterwards.

She didn't like it.

She rolled around on the floor as she groaned.

"I'll just drop out of school!" she shouted to nobody.

However, a chill quickly ran down her spine as she shivered as if someone heard it.

No way. No way no way no way.

Umi would kill her.

Honoka sat up as she grabbed her phone, a yawn escaping her afterwards.

She'd have to think about everything later. Now, it was time for her to put what she learned into practice.

…

…

Honoka had been alone in the kitchen for a while, and she had learned two important lessons.

One: she needed to pay more attention when someone was teaching her.

Two: cookies shouldn't be underestimated.

She had tons of experience with bread when she had to help at her family's bakery, but cookies were a different beast.

After having almost messed up at every step and nearly forgetting about the time, she gazed at the pan of cookies on the counter.

They looked…fine?

But now it was time for the true test.

"Chika-chan, Umi-chan, Kotori-chan, everyone…I'll miss you," Honoka mumbled worriedly, her hand trembling as she reached toward the pan.

It couldn't be that bad, right?

…right?

With a cookie now in hand, she readied herself.

'_Please let this be good,' _she thought to herself as she tossed it into her mouth and took a bite.

…

…!

It was…surprisingly edible.

No, it even tasted _good._

A bright smile formed on Honoka's lips. All the panic and scrambling earlier was immediately worth it.

As Honoka went to grab another to see if the whole batch was edible, a series of knocks sounded on the entrance to the inn.

Confused, she glanced toward the clock.

She had woken up earlier than usual and the inn wasn't open yet. There was also a sign outside the inn that listed the business times, so it shouldn't be a guest.

Nobody else was around however, so the responsibility fell onto her.

"Coming!" Honoka called out, her voice a bit muffled after having stuffed the second cookie in her mouth.

"Hel-Mari-san?!" Honoka cut herself off as Mari gave her a wink.

"Honoka-san! I was hoping either you or Chikachi would be awake," Mari said casually.

Honoka smiled.

"Well, I'm here! But wait…it's really early, what would you have done if I wasn't awake?" Honoka asked while slightly tilting her head.

"Hmm…broken in, I guess?" Mari said with a playful look.

"M-Mari-san! You can't just break in!" Honoka stammered as Mari raised a hand and gave her iconic peace sign.

"It's joke! Anyway, I'm here for this."

Mari pulled a receipt and two tickets out of her pocket as Honoka accepted them with a confused look.

Honoka glanced at the items, confusion quickly turning to amazement.

It was a reservation for a two-person week-long stay at a famous inn in Kyoto, as well as two train tickets.

"Mari-san, you're going to Kyoto? That's amazing!" Honoka said happily.

Mari playfully wagged her finger.

"Tsk, tsk. I'm not. You are, Honoka-san."

…

"Eh?"

Honoka gave Mari a blank look.

"You're going to Kyoto with Chikachi!" Mari continued casually despite Honoka's confusion.

"H-Huh?! Why? And what about practice?" Honoka blurted out questions, but Mari waved her hand in dismissal.

"I heard about your situation from You, and practice will be fine! Oh, call me if you'd prefer helicopter instead of train," Mari said with a smug smirk before turning around and leaving just as quick as she arrived.

Honoka couldn't tell if the helicopter part was a joke or not.

"My situation…?" she murmured to herself.

She thought about it for a minute, but nothing came to mind.

Regardless…

Honoka stared at the papers in her hands again, completely baffled.

"A week-long trip to Kyoto with Chika-chan, huh…" she murmured to herself, an excited smile forming on her lips afterwards.

"Chika-chan!" Honoka called out as she started running towards Chika's room, but quickly remembered the time and clamped her hands over her mouth.

…

"C-Chika-chan…" Honoka whispered as she slowly walked instead.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone!

I know last chapter I said I'd start releasing chapters at least once every two weeks until it's finished, and here we are! However, this is near the end of the two weeks, so I'm hoping I can get the next one out a bit earlier instead of the maximum two weeks. Regardless, I hope you're able to enjoy this chapter.

Thank you for reading!


	16. We'll Make It Work!

The door to Chika's room slowly slid open as Honoka peeked through it. Her eyes rested on Chika's sleeping face, and she smiled a bit before quietly stepping inside.

"Chika-chan…Chika-chan…" Honoka whispered as she gently shook Chika's shoulder.

"Ngh…what is it…?" Chika groaned as her eyes opened a bit.

Honoka's gaze met hers.

Chika almost fell out of bed as she panicked and backed away from Honoka with a blush.

"H-H-Honoka-chan?! What are you doing?!"

"Shh!" Honoka sounded as she put a finger over her own lips.

Chika clamped her hands over her own mouth.

"Sorry…" Chika murmured as she reached a hand toward her phone, her eyes widening as she glanced at the display.

"So early!" she said, and a shiver quickly went down her spine as she imagined Mito yelling at her for disturbing her sleep.

Honoka laughed quietly with an embarrassed expression.

"Yeah, sorry…I just had to show you right away," Honoka said as she pulled out the paper and tickets.

Chika accepted them and began reading over the contents.

…

"Huh?! That fast?!" Chika remarked.

Honoka gave her a confused look.

"Hmm? You knew about this, Chika-chan?"

Chika nodded.

"Mhm. I was with You-chan and Riko-chan yesterday and we talked about how we-"

Chika cut herself off as her face flushed red.

"Chika-chan?" Honoka prompted as Chika started to stammer.

"W-Well, we were…uhm, talking about…" Chika stalled as she wracked her brain for an excuse, but was coming up short.

After a bit, she leaned toward Honoka.

"We were talking about you, Honoka-chan!" she admitted as Honoka's expression turned blank.

"Me?"

Chika nodded again before leaning even closer.

"Anyways, we can go on a trip, right? Right?!" Chika asked with a glint in her eyes as Honoka was taken aback.

"Y-Yes…?" she accepted despite still being unsure what was going on, and Chika cheered.

"A trip! Let's see, Kyoto…what clothes for Kyoto…" Chika mumbled to herself as she leapt out of bed and started searching her closet, while Honoka remained confused for a while.

* * *

One way or another, Chika managed to convince Honoka to go on the trip with her. They'd be missing practice for a week, but Aqours had decided it was for the best they took a break anyway before throwing themselves into practice for the finals.

The finals and the joint concert…after that, Honoka would be living in Tokyo again.

With a sigh, Honoka gazed toward the entrance of the inn.

She was used to living with Chika, so even though they would only be two hours away, it made her sad.

However, that would only be the case until Chika graduated. Then, they could live together just like Umi and K-

Honoka paused in the middle of her thoughts as her face reddened.

…well, they could live like that if Chika wanted to as well.

While Honoka calmed down, Chika finally stepped out from the entrance with a traveling suitcase trailing behind her.

"Sorry! I couldn't decide which clothes to bring," Chika said as she walked toward Honoka.

Honoka looked at her curiously.

"I didn't know you cared about that kind of stuff, Chika-chan."

Chika's eyes lit up.

"This is special! It's a trip! We're going all the way to Kyoto! I need Kyoto clothes, Kyoto bags…"

Chika went down her list of Kyoto-themed items as Honoka watched with an amused look.

'_Cute,'_ she thought to herself with a smile.

As Honoka was absorbed in the adorableness of Chika, Chika's gaze moved to the box in Honoka's hands.

"Huh? What's that?"

Honoka blushed a bit.

"Ah! Uhm, I was going to give them to you to have at school, but now we're taking a train together, so…" Honoka trailed off as she held the box out toward Chika.

Chika accepted it and quickly looked inside.

"Cookies!" she exclaimed with a smile before taking one out and biting it.

Honoka watched while holding her breath, monitoring Chika's reactions.

…

…!

"It's good! I didn't know the shops were open this early though," Chika said before putting the remainder of the cookie in her mouth.

Honoka laughed quietly as she scratched the back of her head.

"Actually, I made them," she corrected.

Chika almost choked as she started coughing.

"C-Chika-chan?!" Honoka said worriedly as her eyes widened.

Chika waved a hand to say she was fine, taking a few moments afterward to finally calm down.

…

After a deep breath, Chika stared Honoka in the eyes.

"It's better than good! It was amazing! The best I've ever had!" Chika praised as Honoka gave her a playful smile.

"You don't have to lie, you know," she said with a giggle as she took one from the box for herself. "I'm happy you like them though," she said as she took a bite.

Chika was blushing a bit.

"Sorry for thinking they were from a shop…" Chika said bashfully. "I just didn't know you could bake! That's all!"

Honoka finished the cookie as she took her phone out of her pocket.

"I helped my mom and dad with the bakery a lot," Honoka said happily, and after a few moments of searching, showed her phone to Chika.

On the screen was a picture of Honoka with her parents, all smiling while wearing the bakery's aprons.

"Aw, you look so cute here!" Chika said excitedly as a faint blush appeared on Honoka's cheeks.

"We made a lot of sweets, but never cookies. Another bakery nearby made a lot of them and mom didn't want to compete."

Chika tilted her head while giving Honoka a confused glance.

"Huh? How did you learn how to make cookies then?"

Honoka smiled.

"Shima-san taught me! You have to be really careful while making them, you know!" Honoka said excitedly, repeating the words Shima told her.

Chika quickly pumped her fists.

"All right! I'll have Shima-nee teach me too!"

Honoka gazed at her curiously.

"Hmm? You're interested in baking, Chika-chan?"

"You made me cookies, so now I have to make you some!" Chika answered as if it was obvious.

Honoka worriedly waved her hands in front of herself.

"Y-You don't have to pay me back or anything! I just wanted to make them for you!"

Chika smiled.

"And now I want to make them for you! That's okay, right?" she asked excitedly.

Honoka averted her gaze with a blush.

She knew she couldn't say no to that. After a moment, she flipped a switch in her head and stared back at Chika.

"Okay! I'll learn with you too! Shima-san can teach both of us!" Honoka answered.

However, Chika appeared troubled.

"N-no, no, I need to be alone with Shima-nee," she mumbled as she turned away from Honoka.

"Ehh? Why?" Honoka asked in a dejected tone.

"Well, it's just…hm…" Chika quietly scrambled for an explanation as Honoka watched her impatiently.

"Just…?" Honoka prompted.

"It's a secret!" Chika answered.

…

Honoka stared at her for a few moments before making her move.

..!

"H-Honoka-chan, w-what are you doing?! Stop! Let me go!" Chika begged while laughing as Honoka mercilessly tickled her.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Honoka said teasingly as Chika tried to squirm out of her grasp.

…

…

After struggling in vain, Chika finally admitted she only wanted to be alone with Shima because Honoka had done the same thing, and it would "feel more special" that way. After hearing that, Honoka agreed with a blush that she wouldn't intrude on their baking.

Now the two of them were on a train heading toward Kyoto, blissfully relaxing on the seats after they finished all the cookies in the box.

Chika was asleep and Honoka was staring out the window next to her when the phone in her lap started vibrating. She fumbled a bit, almost dropping the phone in the process, as she scrambled to silence it before quickly getting up from her seat and walking to an isolated section of the train car.

"Excuse me," she quietly whispered as she passed the other passengers.

Right as she entered the empty section, she answered the phone and raised it to her ear, barely managing to answer before it went to voicemail.

"Hell-" she started but was immediately cut off.

_"Honoka-chan! You're doing a concert?!"_

Honoka winced and briefly moved the phone away from her ear. She should've expected that amount of energy when she saw who was calling.

It put on a smile on her face though.

"Rin-chan! How did you know?"

She had only asked Maki last night and was planning to ask the rest of μ's later, but someone apparently beat her to it.

_"Nico-chan told me! Kayo-chin and I want to join!' _

"Really?!" Honoka exclaimed.

She'd been a bit down ever since she wasn't able to convince Maki right away, but having Rin and Hanayo eagerly ask to join was amazing. It made her heart flutter.

The call went on for a bit longer, ending with the promise that Rin would try to convince the others as well.

After Honoka ended the call she slowly made her way back to her seat, and she glanced over to find Chika slowly rubbing her eye.

"Ah, sorry! Did I wake you?" Honoka asked quietly.

"Mhm. It's fine though. Who was that?" she asked with a yawn.

Honoka explained, including the details about the attempt on Maki.

"Really?! It might really happen," Chika said excitedly, fully awake now. "Oh! I still have to tell everyone about it," she added as she pulled out her phone.

"You think they'll say yes?" Honoka asked as she scooted closer to Chika, now shoulder-to-shoulder.

Chika smiled.

"I'm sure! Look, I'll ask now."

Chika navigated her phone to her messaging app, then quickly typed a message in the Aqours group chat.

"and…sent!" Chika announced as she tapped the button.

…

…

…

Honoka and Chika were watching the screen for a minute, but zero responses came.

…

"Maybe they're in class?" Honoka asked as Chika softly hit her own forehead.

"That's right! I forgot," Chika laughed.

Honoka raised a brow.

"Are you going to be okay with school? We'll be gone for a week," Honoka asked as she pulled a lollipop out of her bag, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth.

Chika quickly nodded.

"I'll be fine! I…think?" she said while putting a finger to her chin, unsure.

She'd thought about every class before preparing for the trip to Kyoto, and she couldn't think of any upcoming tests or anything like that. She could've simply forgot, however.

Chika's mind wandered to how Mari could help her out as director in that case, but she quickly shook her head afterwards.

'_No no no no, I can't ask Mari-chan to do that,' _she thought to herself.

After snapping out of her imaginary scenario, she turned toward Honoka.

"Oh! What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Your classes. You've been doing stuff online, right?"

After Chika said that, Honoka's expression turned to a troubled one.

"…Honoka-chan?" Chika asked quietly.

Honoka formed a small smile.

"I'm doing fine, but…I'll probably have to go back soon," she murmured while scratching her cheek.

"Soon?!" Chika yelled as she leaned toward Honoka.

Honoka put her hands up in front of herself.

"Not that soon! Probably…after the Love Live finals," she said softly, and Chika sat back down in her seat with a sigh of relief.

"Oh…that's good. I thought you meant in a week or something," Chika whispered with a laugh.

Honoka gazed at her curiously.

"You're not surprised?"

"Well…I had a feeling, I guess? You originally came here for the concert and didn't plan on staying, right? It's actually a miracle you've been here so long," Chika said quietly as she brought her hands together in her lap.

"Chika-chan…" Honoka murmured.

"Tokyo's not that far either! I can come visit all the time! I might have to ask Mari-chan for train fare though…" Chika mumbled as she put a finger to her chin.

Honoka stared at Chika for a few moments before smiling.

"I can help pay too! And I'll definitely visit Uchiura! I have to use those hot springs way, way more!"

"You only want to come for the hot springs?!" Chika asked playfully while trying her best to appear shocked, and two gazed at each other for a few seconds before laughing.

Honoka breathed a quiet sigh.

"The other classes I need to take aren't online…but…hmm…"

Chika watched as Honoka talked to herself for a few moments, jumping in surprise when Honoka suddenly stood up.

"That's it!" Honoka said excitedly before turning toward Chika. "If enough students ask, they might get more teachers for the classes! Then there might be online options!"

Honoka was enthusiastic, but Chika appeared troubled.

"Honoka-chan, are you sure?" she asked.

"Huh?"

Honoka paused her excitement as she watched Chika, who was fidgeting a bit.

"Aren't you doing worse in your classes since you started doing them online?" she asked simply.

Honoka appeared as if she was in physical pain as she quickly sat back down.

"How did you know?" she whispered.

"Umi-san told me," Chika answered as Honoka clenched a fist.

"Umi-chan…" she mumbled, earning a laugh from Chika.

Chika reached out and gently grabbed Honoka's spare hand.

"It's okay, really! We'll make it work! I'm sure all your friends miss you too," Chika said, intertwining their fingers with a smile before continuing.

"We'll visit each other all the time, and when I graduate…"

Chika trailed off as a deep blush rose to her cheeks.

"W-We could live together…only if you want! W-Wait, no! Never mind! I never said that!" Chika stammered quickly in a panic as she averted her gaze.

Honoka blushed a bit before giggling.

"I'd love to!"

"Huh?"

Chika brought her gaze back to Honoka's, a bright smile greeting her.

"Let's do it!" Honoka agreed happily.

Chika stared in amazement for a few moments before smiling back and nodding.

"Mhm!"

They were silent for a few moments before Chika suddenly turned away, earning a confused glance from Honoka.

"Huh? Chika-chan?"

Chika swallowed nervously.

"Y-You know…it's kind of like we just proposed…" she murmured.

Honoka's entire face heated up before she turned away as well.

"Y-Yeah…" she whispered.

The train was silent for a bit, but they eventually turned to each other again and laughed.

It was unlikely Honoka would be able to stay in Uchiura. However, if she did have to leave, they would both be able to endure the wait for each other.

With the secret revealed, they promised to make full use of their time together until the finals. Starting with their week-long stay in Kyoto.

And after another hour, they finally arrived.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone!

Sorry for being late with this chapter. I know I said I'd be releasing one at least every two weeks, and we're two days past that by now. I'll try to not let it happen again. I haven't been feeling very confident in writing lately, but I'm getting over it!

Thank you everyone for reading!


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